Efficacy of Respiratory Muscle Training in the Immediate Postoperative Period of Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of respiratory muscle training during the immediate postoperative period of cardiac surgery on respiratory muscle strength, pulmonary function, functional capacity, and length of hospital stay. METHODS: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis. A comprehensive search on PubMed®, Excerpta Medica Database (or Embase), Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (or CINAHL), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (or LILACS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (or SciELO), Physiotherapy Evidence Database (or PEDro), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases was performed. A combination of free-text words and indexed terms referring to cardiac surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting, respiratory muscle training, and clinical trials was used. A total of 792 studies were identified; after careful selection, six studies were evaluated. RESULTS: The studies found significant improvement after inspiratory muscle training (IMT) (n = 165, 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.68, 21.99) and expiratory muscle training (EMT) (n = 135, 95% CI 8.59, 27.07) of maximal inspiratory pressure and maximal expiratory pressure, respectively. Also, IMT increased significantly (95% CI 19.59, 349.82, n = 85) the tidal volume. However, no differences were found in the peak expiratory flow, functional capacity, and length of hospital stay after EMT and IMT. CONCLUSION: IMT and EMT demonstrated efficacy in improving respiratory muscle strength during the immediate postoperative period of cardiac surgery. There was no evidence indicating the efficacy of IMT for pulmonary function and length of hospital stay and the efficacy of EMT for functional capacity.

Intake of cookies made with buriti oil (Mauritia flexuosa) improves vitamin A status and lipid profiles in young rats.

The oil extracted from Mauritia flexuosa (buriti) is rich in vitamin A, tocopherols and unsaturated fatty acids. This study evaluated the retinol status, blood glucose levels, lipid profiles, food efficiency rates (FERs), food conversion rates (FCRs) and murine anthropometric parameters of Wistar rats fed cookies made with buriti oil (BOC). The content of ß-carotene and monounsaturated fatty acids in the cookies was enhanced (p < 0.05) using buriti oil. Rats fed BOC showed an increase (p < 0.05) in serum and hepatic retinol levels compared to rats fed cookies made with soy oil (SOC - control). Rats fed BOC showed lower (p < 0.05) total and LDL cholesterol than the control; however, no changes in blood glucose levels or murine anthropometric parameters were observed. Serum retinol contents showed a strong correlation (r > 0.8) with hepatic retinol, and both groups of rats showed moderate correlations (r > 0.6 < 0.5) with FERs, FCRs and weight gain. Taken together, these results indicated that buriti is an alternative to increase vitamin A in baked goods, particularly in cookies. Intake of BOC improves lipid profiles and retinol status without affecting blood glucose in young rats.