The effects of pedometer-based exercise on central and peripheral vascular functions among young sedentary men with CVD risk factors.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the main cause of morbidity and mortality in Malaysia and worldwide. This is mainly due to an increase in the prevalence of CVD risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, and obesity. Increased physical activity has been recommended as a modality to improve CVD risk. Pulse wave velocity (PWVCF), augmentation index (AI), and finger photoplethysmography fitness (PPGF) index have been introduced to assess the vascular functions related to CVD risk factors. The effects of long-term exercise on PPGF index are not established. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 young men who were sedentary with two or more cardiovascular risk factors were recruited. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group (CG) (n = 34; no change in walking) and pedometer group (PG) (n = 36; minimum target: 8,000 steps/day). PWVCF and AI were measured via the Vicorder system. The PPGF index was obtained via the finger photoplethysmography method. All parameters were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 weeks. Results: After intervention, the PG had significant increased step count from 4,996 ± 805 to 10,128 ± 511 steps/day (p < 0.001). The PG showed significant improvement in anthropometric variables, lipid, PWVCF, AI, and PPGF index (time and group effect p < 0.001). No changes were observed in CG. Conclusion: This signifies that pedometer-based walking program is beneficial in improving markers of vascular functions among young working sedentary men with CVD risk factors. Pedometer-based exercise should be encouraged to improve cardiovascular health.

Role of Honey in Obesity Management: A Systematic Review.

Obesity is a metabolic disorder that has become critically prevalent throughout the world. Obesity has been linked to other chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Natural products such as honey have been investigated for their potential effect on obesity. Hence, this study systematically reviewed the recent literature concerning the effects of honey on obesity in obese animal models and in people with obesity. The Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar electronic databases were searched for relevant articles. A total of 130 relevant articles were obtained from the initial search. Following a thorough screening, nine articles were selected for data extraction, including six animal studies and three clinical trials. In most of the animal studies, honey demonstrated an anti-obesity effect by reducing body weight, body fat composition and adipocyte size, among others. However, supplementation of honey in clinical trials showed conflicting results. Even though honey supplementation did not demonstrate any weight-reducing effect in some of the clinical trials, none of the trials showed that honey increases body weight. However, the results should be interpreted with caution as most of the studies involved animal models and there is a limited number of high quality, randomized, controlled clinical trials. Systematic Review Registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-6-0038/ PROSPERO, identifier 10.37766/inplasy2022.6.0038.

The Association Between Arterial Stiffness and Muscle Indices Among Healthy Subjects and Subjects With Cardiovascular Risk Factors: An Evidence-Based Review.

Skeletal muscle is one of the major tissues in the body and is important for performing daily physical activity. Previous studies suggest that vascular dysfunction contributes to reduced skeletal muscle mass. However, the association between vascular dysfunction and muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle flexibility are less established. Therefore, the focus of this review was to investigate the association between arterial stiffness (AS) which is a marker of vascular function, and muscle indices among healthy and those with cardiovascular risk factors. Three databases were used to search for relevant studies. These keywords were used: "arterial stiffness" OR "vascular stiffness" OR "aortic stiffness" OR "pulse wave velocity" OR "carotid femoral pulse wave velocity" OR "pulse wave analysis" AND "muscle" OR "skeletal" OR "flexibility" OR "range of motion" OR "articular" OR "arthrometry" OR "strength" OR "hand strength" OR "pinch strength" OR "mass" OR "lean" OR "body composition." The criteria were; (1) original, full-text articles, (2) articles written in English language, (3) human studies involving healthy adults and/or adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or CVD risk factors (4) articles that reported the relationship between AS (measured as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity or brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity) and muscle indices (measured as muscle mass, muscle flexibility and muscle strength) after adjusting for relevant confounders. The search identified 2295 articles published between 1971 and June 2021. Only 17 articles fulfilled the criteria. Two studies showed an inverse association between AS and muscle strength in healthy subjects, whereas in subjects with CVD risk factors, five out of seven studies found an inverse correlation between the two parameters. Eleven studies showed an inverse association between AS and muscle mass in subjects with CVD and CVD risk factors. The association between AS and muscle flexibility was not studied in any of the articles reviewed. In conclusion, there is an inverse correlation between muscle indices and AS in healthy adults and those with CVD or CVD risk factors. However, most of the studies were cross-sectional studies, hence the need for future prospective studies to address this issue.

Potential Health Benefits of Curcumin on Female Reproductive Disorders: A Review.

Curcumin is one of the main polyphenolic compounds in the turmeric rhizome. It possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-arthritis, anti-asthmatic, anti-microbial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. This review aims to provide an overview of the potential health benefits of curcumin to treat female reproductive disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ovarian failure and endometriosis. Comprehensive information on curcumin was retrieved from electronic databases, which were MEDLINE via EBSCOhost, Scopus and Google Scholar. The available evidence showed that curcumin reduced the high level of androgen in PCOS. Studies in rodents suggest that curcumin resulted in the disappearance of cysts and the appearance of healthy follicles and corpora lutea. Furthermore, animal studies showed curcumin improved the overall function of the ovary in ovarian diseases and reversed the disturbance in oxidative stress parameters. Meanwhile, in vitro and in vivo studies reported the positive effects of curcumin in alleviating endometriosis through anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic and pro-apoptotic mechanisms. Thus, curcumin possesses various effects on PCOS, ovarian diseases and endometriosis. Some studies found considerable therapeutic effects, whereas others found no effect. However, none of the investigations found curcumin to be harmful. Curcumin clinical trials in endometriosis and ovarian illness are still scarce; thus, future studies need to be conducted to confirm the safety and efficacy of curcumin before it could be offered as a complementary therapy agent.

Anticancer, antiplatelet, gastroprotective and hepatoprotective effects of camel urine: A scoping review.

Camel urine has traditionally been used to treat multiple human diseases and possesses the most beneficial effects amongst the urine of other animals. However, scientific review evaluating the anticancer, antiplatelet, gastroprotective and hepatoprotective effects of camel urine is still scarce. Thus, this scoping review aimed to provide scientific evidence on the therapeutic potentials of camel urine. Three databases were searched to identify relevant articles (Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus) up to September 2020. Original articles published in English that investigated the effects of camel urine in various diseases were included. The literature search identified six potential articles that met all the inclusion criteria. Three articles showed that camel urine possesses cytotoxic activities against different types of cancer cells. Two studies revealed camel urine's protective effects against liver toxicity and gastric ulcers, whilst another study showed the role of camel urine as an antiplatelet agent. All studies demonstrated significant positive effects with different effective dosages. Thus, camel urine shows promising therapeutic potential in treating human diseases, especially cancer. However, the standardised dosage and potential side effects should be determined before camel urine could be offered as an alternative treatment.

Piper sarmentosum Roxb. Attenuates Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction in Nicotine-Induced Rats.

Exposure to cigarette smoke is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Nicotine is an addictive compound in cigarette smoke that triggers oxidative stress, which leads to vascular dysfunction. Piper sarmentosum Roxb. is a herb with antioxidant and vascular protective effects. This study evaluated the potential protective effect of the aqueous extract of P. sarmentosum leaf (AEPS) on vascular dysfunction in rats induced with prolonged nicotine administration. A total of 22 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control (normal saline, oral gavage [p.o.]), nicotine (0.8 mg/kg/day nicotine, intraperitoneally [i.p.]), and nicotine + AEPS groups (250 mg/kg/day AEPS, p.o. + 0.8 mg/kg/day nicotine, i.p.). Treatment was given for 21 days. Thoracic aortae were harvested from the rats for the measurement of vasorelaxation, vascular nitric oxide (NO) level, and antioxidant level and the assessment of vascular remodeling. Rats treated with AEPS had improved vasorelaxation to endothelium-dependent vasodilator, acetylcholine (ACh), compared with the nicotine-induced rats (p < 0.05). The presence of endothelium increased the maximum relaxation of aortic rings in response to ACh. Compared with the nicotine group, AEPS enhanced vascular NO level (p < 0.001) and increased antioxidant levels as measured by superoxide dismutase activity (p < 0.05), catalase activity (p < 0.01), and reduced glutathione level (p < 0.05). No remarkable changes in aortic histomorphometry were detected. In conclusion, P. sarmentosum attenuates vascular endothelial dysfunction in nicotine-induced rats by improving vasorelaxation and enhancing vascular NO and antioxidant levels.

Beneficial Effects of Green Tea Catechins on Female Reproductive Disorders: A Review.

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide after water, and green tea accounts for 20% of the total tea consumption. The health benefits of green tea are attributed to its natural antioxidants, namely, catechins, which are phenolic compounds with diverse beneficial effects on human health. The beneficial effects of green tea and its major bioactive component, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), on health include high antioxidative, osteoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-diabetic effects. However, the review of green tea's benefits on female reproductive disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and dysmenorrhea, remains scarce. Thus, this review summarises current knowledge on the beneficial effects of green tea catechins on selected female reproductive disorders. Green tea or its derivative, EGCG, improves endometriosis mainly through anti-angiogenic, anti-fibrotic, anti-proliferative and proapoptotic mechanisms. Moreover, green tea enhances ovulation and reduces cyst formation in PCOS while improving generalised hyperalgesia, and reduces plasma corticosterone levels and uterine contractility in dysmenorrhea. However, information on clinical trials is inadequate for translating excellent findings on green tea benefits in animal endometriosis models. Thus, future clinical intervention studies are needed to provide clear evidence of the green tea benefits with regard to these diseases.

The effects of exercise on vascular markers and C-reactive protein among obese children and adolescents: An evidence-based review.

Numerous studies have evaluated the effects of exercise training on obese children and adolescents. However, the impact of aerobic and/or resistance exercise alone, without any other interventions, on vascular markers and C-reactive protein (CRP) in obese children and adolescents is still not clear. We performed a literature search in Ovid Medline, PubMed, and SCOPUS databases to identify articles on the effects of exercise on vascular markers and CRP among obese children and adolescents, published between January 2009 and May 2019. Only full-text articles in English that reported on the effect of aerobic and/or resistance exercise on the vascular markers pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), augmentation index (AIx), or CRP in obese children and adolescents (5-19 years old) were included. The literature search identified 36 relevant articles; 9 articles that fulfilled all the inclusion criteria were selected by two independent reviewers. Aerobic exercise or a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise training significantly improved CIMT and PWV in obese children and adolescents in all studies in which they were measured (2 studies for PWV and 4 studies for CIMT). However, the effects of exercise on FMD and CRP levels were inconclusive, as only half of the studies demonstrated significant improvements (1/2 studies for FMD and 4/8 studies for CRP). The results of our review support the ability of exercise to improve vascular markers such as PWV and CIMT in obese children and adolescents. This finding is important as obesity is a modifiable risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and exercise may help in reducing the future occurrence of CVD in this population.

Vascular Dysfunction among Malaysian Men with Increased BMI: An Indication of Synergistic Effect of Free Testosterone and Inflammation.

Background and objectives: Obesity is associated with poor vascular function and may lead to future cardiovascular disease (CVD). Obesity is also related to increased inflammation and a low testosterone level. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between inflammation, testosterone level, and vascular function among subjects with an increased body mass index (BMI) and to determine whether both low testosterone and high inflammation have synergistic effects towards vascular dysfunction. Materials and Methods: A total of 303 men aged 40-80 years were recruited from Klang Valley, Malaysia. Their height, weight, blood pressure (BP), lipid, blood glucose level, total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. The carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVCF) and augmentation index (AI) were also recorded as markers of vascular function. Results: The mean age of all the subjects was 54.46 ± 9.77 years. Subjects were divided into a low/normal body mass index (BMI) group (BMI < 25 kg/m2; NG, n = 154) and high BMI group (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2; OG, n = 149). The mean BMI for NG was 22.20 ± 1.94 kg/m2 while for OG was 28.87 ± 3.24 kg/m2 (p < 0.01). The level of TT (OG = 21.13 ± 6.44 versus NG = 16.18 ± 6.16 nmol/L, p < 0.01) and FT (OG = 0.34 ± 0.12 versus NG = 0.39 ± 0.11 nmol/L, p < 0.01) were reduced while the level of CRP [OG = 1.05 (2.80) versus NG = 0.50 (1.50) mmol/L, p = 0.01] was increased in OG compared to NG. PWVCF (OG = 8.55 ± 1.34 versus NG = 8.52 ± 1.42 m/s, p = 0.02) and AI (OG = 16.91% ± 6.00% versus 15.88% ± 5.58%, p < 0.01) were significantly increased in OG after adjustment for other CVD risk factors. The subjects that had both a low FT and an increased CRP had higher AI when compared to those with a high CRP and high FT (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The increased BMI was associated with vascular dysfunction, mediated by a low testosterone level and increased inflammation. Furthermore, having both conditions concurrently lead to higher vascular dysfunction. Weight loss, testosterone supplementation, and the anti-inflammatory agent may be beneficial for men to prevent vascular dysfunction.