Cardiovascular risk among ultra-endurance runners.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to determine the prevalence and clinical correlates of conventional cardiovascular risk factors among ultra-endurance marathon runners. METHODS: An electronic internet survey to characterize modifiable cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, tobacco exposure and obesity (BMI>30) among competitive ultra-endurance runners. RESULTS: Among 290 respondents (mean±SD, 42±11 years, 31.4% female), 106 (36.6%) had at least one established cardiovascular risk factor. Female sex, younger age and participation in competitive high school or collegiate sports were associated with freedom from cardiovascular risk factors. There were no significant associations between risk factor status and either hours per week of running training (risk factor negative: 10±7 vs. risk factor positive: 11±8 hours, P=0.42) or years of ultra-endurance competition (6±8 vs. 7±9 years, P=0.38). Runners with at least one cardiovascular risk factor were more likely to have had personal or peer concerns about excessive alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional cardiovascular risk factors are common among ultra-endurance runners. Early-life participation in competitive sports, rather than adult exercise habits, is associated with freedom from the development of cardiovascular risk factors during middle age. Determining mechanistic explanations for the legacy effect of early life exercise as a means to reduce cardiovascular risk among aging athletes represents an important area of future work.

Self-extubation Laryngeal Injuries at an Academic Tertiary Care Center: A Retrospective Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to identify laryngeal symptoms and injuries in self-extubated patients. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify symptoms and clinical findings associated with self-extubation. A novel scoring system was developed and used to quantify these findings. Symptom score included all symptoms that patients reported after self-extubation. Clinical score consisted of laryngeal findings visualized on nasopharyngeal laryngoscopy. Finally, a total self-extubation score was calculated as the sum of the symptom and clinical scores. Additionally, duration of intubation and endotracheal tube size were correlated with these scores. RESULTS: Sixty (n = 60) patients who self-extubated in our institution's intensive care unit were identified. Average calculated symptom, clinical, and total self-extubation scores were 0.92, 1.43, and 2.35, respectively. The most common symptom observed was hoarseness (62%), while the most common clinical finding was posterior laryngeal edema (58%). A significant positive correlation was found between duration of intubation and both symptom score and total self-extubation score (r = 0.314, P = .008 and r = 0.223, P = .05, respectively). Symptom score predicted clinical score with a significant positive correlation present (r = 0.278, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the majority of self-extubated patients have laryngeal symptoms and clinical findings. A comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation is warranted for self-extubations.

Current and Future Issues in the Development of Spinal Agents for the Management of Pain.

Targeting analgesic drugs for spinal delivery reflects the fact that while the conscious experience of pain is mediated supraspinally, input initiated by high intensity stimuli, tissue injury and/or nerve injury is encoded at the level of the spinal dorsal horn and this output informs the brain as to the peripheral environment. This encoding process is subject to strong upregulation resulting in hyperesthetic states and downregulation reducing the ongoing processing of nociceptive stimuli reversing the hyperesthesia and pain processing. The present review addresses the biology of spinal nociceptive processing as relevant to the effects of intrathecally-delivered drugs in altering pain processing following acute stimulation, tissue inflammation/injury and nerve injury. The review covers i) the major classes of spinal agents currently employed as intrathecal analgesics (opioid agonists, alpha 2 agonists; sodium channel blockers; calcium channel blockers; NMDA blockers; GABA A/B agonists; COX inhibitors; ii) ongoing developments in the pharmacology of spinal therapeutics focusing on less studied agents/targets (cholinesterase inhibition; Adenosine agonists; iii) novel intrathecal targeting methodologies including gene-based approaches (viral vectors, plasmids, interfering RNAs); antisense, and toxins (botulinum toxins; resniferatoxin, substance P Saporin); and iv) issues relevant to intrathecal drug delivery (neuraxial drug distribution), infusate delivery profile, drug dosing, formulation and principals involved in the preclinical evaluation of intrathecal drug safety.