Relationship of obstructive sleep apnea and cardiometabolic risk factors in elderly patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm.

PURPOSE: This study seeks to determine the risks for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiometabolic disease (CMR) in elderly patients with mild-moderate abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). METHODS: Three hundred two elderly patients with diagnosed small AAA disease were subjects. CMR was assessed by several biomarkers, with special focus on the Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP) and the Triglyceride-Glucose Index (TyG Index), two validated screening indicators of CMR related to central obesity and insulin resistance, respectively. Analysis of OSA risk was assessed with the Berlin Questionnaire. RESULTS: The patients (60.6 %) had increased risk of OSA; those at high risk also were at increased (p < 0.05) risk for CMR (15/25 biomarkers). CONCLUSIONS: As a group, elderly AAA patients are at risk for both OSA and cardiometabolic disease. Given that OSA and CMR may both amplify risk for AAA expansion, these patients should be screened for OSA, and when indicated, referred for definitive evaluation and treatment.

Abnormal Exercise Test or CVD History on Weight Loss or Fitness: the Look AHEAD Trial.

PURPOSE: Obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the combination of weight loss and increased physical exercise are commonly recommended to reduce CVD. This study examined whether people with obesity and type 2 diabetes with an abnormal graded exercise tolerance test (GXT) or a history of CVD would have less success in achieving weight loss and improved fitness, compared to adults without these conditions. METHODS: The Look AHEAD Study examined whether an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) compared with diabetes support and education (DSE) reduced cardiovascular events in adults with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes. Participants underwent a baseline maximal GXT and provided medical history data. Weight loss and fitness change were examined in 5011 participants over four years in those with or without an abnormal baseline GXT and/or history of CVD. RESULTS: After four years, weight loss in both ILI and DSE were significantly greater in those without a prior history of CVD than in those with a CVD history (6.69% vs 5.98%, p=0.02, in ILI and 0.73 vs -.07% (weight gain), p=0.01, in DSE). Likewise, those without a prior history of CVD experienced greater improvements in fitness in both ILI and DSE relative to those with a history of CVD. Having an abnormal GXT at baseline did not affect weight loss or fitness. CONCLUSIONS: A history of CVD at baseline modestly lessened weight loss and fitness changes at 4 years, whereas having any abnormality on the baseline GXT did not affect these outcomes. Thus, weight loss and improved fitness are achievable in adults with a history of CVD or ECG abnormalities.

Is new science driving practice improvements and better patient outcomes? Applications for cardiac rehabilitation.

Evidence from many clinical trials in recent years suggests that a large "treatment gap" exists between recommended therapies and the care that patients actually receive. This gap has been particularly apparent in the area of primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. In this article, three areas are discussed in which new scientific advances have not been adequately translated to clinical practice. These include: 1) the most appropriate measures to define the risks associated with obesity; 2) the under-diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea and its relation to cardiovascular risk; and 3) the use and misuse of the exercise test and other functional status tools to predict health outcomes. Each is discussed in terms of how they should be quantified, their contribution to the estimation of cardiovascular disease risk, their response to interventions, and implications for cardiac rehabilitation. Clinical cardiac rehabilitation programs can benefit from routinely including these measures, both for their value in stratifying risk and for their importance in quantifying program efficacy. Physicians and allied health professionals should expand their routine medical evaluations and coronary risk factor profiling to include these measures.

Cardiovascular emergency preparedness in recreation facilities at major US universities: college fitness center emergency readiness.

Recent American Heart Association/American College of Sports Medicine (AHA/ACSM) guidelines advocate preparticipation screening, planning, and rehearsal for emergencies and automated external defibrillators in all health/fitness facilities. The authors evaluated adherence to these recommendations at 158 recreational service departments in major US universities (51% response rate for 313 institutions queried). Many made their facilities available to unaffiliated residents, with 39% offering programs for those with special medical conditions. Only 18% performed universal preparticipation screening. Twenty-seven percent reported having 1 or more exercise-related instances of cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death within the past 5 years. Seventy-three percent had an automated external defibrillator, but only 6% reported using it in an emergency. Almost all had written emergency plans, but only 50% posted their plans, and only 27% performed the recommended quarterly emergency drills. The authors' findings suggest low awareness of and adherence to the AHA/ACSM recommendations for identifying individuals at risk for exercise-related cardiovascular complications and for handling such emergencies in university-based fitness facilities. (

Association of the magnitude of weight loss and changes in physical fitness with long-term cardiovascular disease outcomes in overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes: a post-hoc analysis of the Look AHEAD randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Findings from the Look AHEAD trial showed no significant reductions in the primary outcome of cardiovascular disease incidence in adults with type 2 diabetes randomly assigned to an intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss compared with those randomly assigned to diabetes support and education (control). We examined whether the incidence of cardiovascular disease in Look AHEAD varied by changes in weight or fitness. METHODS: Look AHEAD was a randomised clinical trial done at 16 clinical sites in the USA, recruiting patients from Aug 22, 2001, to April 30, 2004. In the trial, 5145 overweight or obese adults aged 45-76 years with type 2 diabetes were assigned (1:1) to an intensive lifestyle intervention or diabetes support and education. In this observational, post-hoc analysis, we examined the association of magnitude of weight loss and fitness change over the first year with incidence of cardiovascular disease. The primary outcome of the trial and of this analysis was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, or admission to hospital for angina. The secondary outcome included the same indices plus coronary artery bypass grafting, carotid endartectomy, percutaneous coronary intervention, hospitalisation for congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, or total mortality. We adjusted analyses for baseline differences in weight or fitness, demographic characteristics, and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The Look AHEAD trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00017953. FINDINGS: For the analyses related to weight change, we excluded 311 ineligible participants, leaving a population of 4834; for the analyses related to fitness change, we excluded 739 participants, leaving a population of 4406. In analyses of the full cohort (ie, combining both study groups), over a median 10·2 years of follow-up (IQR 9·5-10·7), individuals who lost at least 10% of their bodyweight in the first year of the study had a 21% lower risk of the primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0·79, 95% CI 0·64-0·98; p=0·034) and a 24% reduced risk of the secondary outcome (adjusted HR 0·76, 95% CI 0·63-0·91; p=0·003) compared with individuals with stable weight or weight gain. Achieving an increase of at least 2 metabolic equivalents in fitness change was associated with a significant reduction in the secondary outcome (adjusted HR 0·77, 95% CI 0·61-0·96; p=0·023) but not the primary outcome (adjusted HR 0·78, 0·60-1·03; p=0·079). In analyses treating the control group as the reference group, participants in the intensive lifestyle intervention group who lost at least 10% of their bodyweight had a 20% lower risk of the primary outcome (adjusted HR 0·80, 95% CI 0·65-0·99; p=0·039), and a 21% lower risk of the secondary outcome (adjusted HR 0·79, 95% CI 0·66-0·95; p=0·011); however, change in fitness was not significantly associated with a change in the primary outcome. INTERPRETATION: The results of this post-hoc analysis of Look AHEAD suggest an association between the magnitude of weight loss and incidence of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes. These findings suggest a need to continue to refine approaches to identify individuals who are most likely to benefit from lifestyle interventions and to develop strategies to improve the magnitude of sustained weight loss with lifestyle interventions. FUNDING: US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Walking may be related to less vascular stiffness in the Activity Counseling Trial (ACT).

BACKGROUND: The ACT was a clinical trial of various patient education and counseling interventions to increase physical activity in sedentary primary care populations. It provided the opportunity to measure the effect of increasing physical activity on aortic pulse wave velocity (APWV), a measure of vascular stiffness, in a relatively healthy middle-aged population. The effects of the interventions, as well as the impact of walking and correlates such as older age and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), on APWV were assessed. METHODS: The participants in this study were a subset of the 874 persons recruited for the ACT. Information about self-reported physical activity and disease status was collected at baseline (464 persons), 6-month (528 persons), and 24-month (555 persons) intervals. Physiological measures included APWV, systolic blood pressure, and other correlates. RESULTS: In multivariate analyses, the various treatment arms did not have a significant effect on APWV. However, walking in hours per day was associated with slower APWV times or less stiffness (P = .03). This was significant for women and consistent but not significant for men. In addition, age, clinic site, race, systolic blood pressure, and VO2max were independently associated with APWV. CONCLUSIONS: Increased walking frequency over a 24-month period was predictive of reduced vascular stiffness in ACT. The more significant result for walking frequency in women than in men might be caused by the presence of a low Vo2max or physical activity threshold for an effect of walking on APWV, which most women achieved but most men had surpassed at the start of the study. Although needing confirmation because this was a secondary analysis, modest physical activity may have a beneficial effect on large vessel structure.

Reactive Oxygen Species Response to Exercise Training and Weight Loss in Sedentary Overweight and Obese Female Adults.

PURPOSE: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in cardiovascular disease and in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and its complications, and it has been shown to increase insulin resistance. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of aerobic exercise training and weight loss on ROS in overweight and obese patients as applied in a community clinical setting. METHODS: Fifty healthy female clinic patients (M ± SEM: age, 41.0 ± 1.8 years; body mass index, 28.2 ± 0.8 kg/m2), free of cardiovascular events and not on drug therapy were evaluated before and after 3 months of dietary restriction (∼150 to 300 kcal/day deficit) and aerobic training (3 days/week for 1 hour at ∼75% VO2max). Measures included ROS, maximal power (kg/min) on cycle ergometry, postexercise heart rate recovery responses at 1 and 2 minutes, and selected anthropometric and hematologic variables. RESULTS: Significant (P < .01) improvements were observed after aerobic training and weight loss in body weight in kilograms (-7.1%); maximal power in kg/min (+32.6%), ROS in U.CARR (Carratelli units) (-25.7%); and heart rate recovery 1 minute in beats per minute (-37.6%) following the program. Significant improvements were also noted in other anthropometric, cardiovascular, and hematologic measures. CONCLUSIONS: A 12-week program of nutritional and exercise intervention in overweight/obese sedentary women improves levels of oxidative stress when accompanied by weight loss and improved fitness. More than restricted caloric intake, physical activity at a relatively high intensity was effective in improving cardiovascular risk markers. The reduction in ROS may be an additional mechanism by which physical activity may contribute to preventing metabolic syndrome and subsequent atherosclerotic disease.

Four-year change in cardiorespiratory fitness and influence on glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes in a randomized trial: the Look AHEAD Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) compared with diabetes support and education (DSE) on 4-year change in fitness and physical activity (PA), and to examine the effect of change in fitness and PA, adjusting for potential confounders, on glycemic control in the Look AHEAD Trial. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Subjects were overweight/obese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with available fitness data at 4 years (n = 3,942).This clinical trial randomized subjects to DSE or ILI. DSE subjects received standard care plus information related to diet, PA, and social support three times per year. ILI subjects received weekly intervention contact for 6 months, which was reduced over the 4-year period, and were prescribed diet and PA. Measures included weight, fitness, PA, and HbA1c. RESULTS: The difference in percent fitness change between ILI and DSE at 4 years was significant after adjustment for baseline fitness and change in weight (3.70 vs. 0.94%; P < 0.01). At 4 years, PA increased by 348 (1,562) kcal/week in ILI vs. 105 (1,309) kcal/week in DSE (P < 0.01). Fitness change at 4 years was inversely related to change in HbA1c after adjustment for clinical site, treatment, baseline HbA1c, prescribed diabetes medication, baseline fitness, and weight change (P < 0.01). Change in PA was not related to change in HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS: A 4-year ILI increased fitness and PA in overweight/obese individuals with T2DM. Change in fitness was associated with improvements in glycemic control, which provides support for interventions to improve fitness in adults with T2DM.

A randomized trial of exercise on well-being and function following breast cancer surgery: the RESTORE trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the effect of a moderate, tailored exercise program on health-related quality of life, physical function, and arm volume in women receiving treatment for nonmetastatic breast cancer. METHODS: Women who were within 4-12 weeks of surgery for stage I-III breast cancer were randomized to center-based exercise and lymphedema education intervention or patient education. Functional assessment of cancer therapy-breast cancer (FACT-B), 6-min walk, and arm volume were performed at 3-month intervals through 18 months. Repeated measures analysis of covariance was used to model the total meters walked over time, FACT-B scores, and arm volume. Models were adjusted for baseline measurement, baseline affected arm volume, number of nodes removed, age, self-reported symptoms, baseline SF-12 mental and physical component scores, visit, and treatment group. RESULTS: Of the recruited 104 women, 82 completed all 18 months. Mean age (range) was 53.6 (32-82) years; 88% were Caucasian; 45% were employed full time; 44% were overweight; and 28% obese. Approximately, 46% had breast-conserving surgery; 79% had axillary node dissection; 59% received chemotherapy; and 64% received radiation. The intervention resulted in an average increase of 34.3 ml (SD = 12.8) versus patient education (p = 0.01). Changes in FACT-B scores and arm volumes were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: With this early exercise intervention after breast cancer diagnosis, a significant improvement was achieved in physical function, with no decline in health-related quality of life or detrimental effect on arm volume. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Starting a supervised exercise regimen that is tailored to an individual's strength and stamina within 3 months following breast cancer surgery appears safe and may hasten improvements in physical functioning.

Lifestyle intervention improves heart rate recovery from exercise in adults with type 2 diabetes: results from the Look AHEAD study.

The primary aims of this paper were (1) to evaluate the influence of intensive lifestyle weight loss and exercise intervention (ILI) compared with diabetes support and education (DSE) upon Heart Rate Recovery (HRR) from graded exercise testing (GXT) and (2) to determine the independent and combined effects of weight loss and fitness changes upon HRR. In 4503 participants (45-76 years) who completed 1 year of intervention, HRR was measured after a submaximal GXT to compare the influence of (ILI) with (DSE) upon HRR. Participants assigned to ILI lost an average 8.6% of their initial weight versus 0.7% in DSE group (P < 0.001) while mean fitness increased in ILI by 20.9% versus 5.8% in DSE (P < 0.001). At Year 1, all exercise and HRR variables in ILI improved (P < 0.0001) versus DSE: heart rate (HR) at rest was lower (72.8 ± 11.4 versus 77.7 ± 11.7 b/min), HR range was greater (57.7 ± 12.1 versus 53.1 ± 12.4 b/min), HR at 2 minutes was lower (89.3 ± 21.8 versus 93.0 ± 12.1 b/min), and HRR was greater (41.25 ± 22.0 versus 37.8 ± 12.5 b/min). Weight loss and fitness gain produced significant separate and independent improvements in HRR.

Intensive lifestyle intervention improves physical function among obese adults with knee pain: findings from the Look AHEAD trial.

Lifestyle interventions have resulted in weight loss or improved physical fitness among individuals with obesity, which may lead to improved physical function. This prospective investigation involved participants in the Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) trial who reported knee pain at baseline (n = 2,203). The purposes of this investigation were to determine whether an Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (ILI) condition resulted in improvement in self-reported physical function from baseline to 12 months vs. a Diabetes Support and Education (DSE) condition, and whether changes in weight or fitness mediated the effect of the ILI. Outcome measures included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain, stiffness, and physical function subscales, and WOMAC summary score. ILI participants exhibited greater adjusted mean weight loss (s.e.) vs. DSE participants (-9.02 kg (0.48) vs. -0.78 kg (0.49); P < 0.001)). ILI participants also demonstrated more favorable change in WOMAC summary scores vs. DSE participants (ß (s.e.) = -1.81 (0.63); P = 0.004). Multiple regression mediation analyses revealed that weight loss was a mediator of the effect of the ILI intervention on change in WOMAC pain, function, and summary scores (P < 0.001). In separate analyses, increased fitness also mediated the effect of the ILI intervention upon WOMAC summary score (P < 0.001). The ILI condition resulted in significant improvement in physical function among overweight and obese adults with diabetes and knee pain. The ILI condition also resulted in significant weight loss and improved fitness, which are possible mechanisms through which the ILI condition improved physical function.

Prevalence and predictors of abnormal cardiovascular responses to exercise testing among individuals with type 2 diabetes: the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study.

OBJECTIVE: We examined maximal graded exercise test (GXT) results in 5,783 overweight/obese men and women, aged 45-76 years, with type 2 diabetes, who were entering the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study, to determine the prevalence and correlates of exercise-induced cardiac abnormalities. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants underwent symptom-limited maximal GXTs. Questionnaires and physical examinations were used to determine demographic, anthropometric, metabolic, and health status predictors of abnormal GXT results, which were defined as an ST segment depression > or =1.0 mm, ventricular arrhythmia, angina pectoris, poor postexercise heart rate recovery (<22 bpm reduction 2 min after exercise), or maximal exercise capacity less than 5.0 METs. Systolic blood pressure response to exercise was examined as a continuous variable, without a threshold to define abnormality. RESULTS: Exercise-induced abnormalities were present in 1,303 (22.5%) participants, of which 693 (12.0%) consisted of impaired exercise capacity. ST segment depression occurred in 440 (7.6%), abnormal heart rate recovery in 206 (5.0%), angina in 63 (1.1%), and arrhythmia in 41 (0.7%). Of potential predictors, only greater age was associated with increased prevalence of all abnormalities. Other predictors were associated with some, but not all, abnormalities. Systolic blood pressure response decreased with greater age, duration of diabetes, and history of cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS: We found a high rate of abnormal GXT results despite careful screening for cardiovascular disease symptoms. In this cohort of overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, greater age most consistently predicted abnormal GXT. Long-term follow-up of these participants will show whether these abnormalities are clinically significant.

Exercise capacity and cardiovascular/metabolic characteristics of overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes: the Look AHEAD clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: We examined associations of cardiovascular, metabolic, and body composition measures with exercise capacity using baseline data from 5,145 overweight and/or obese (BMI > or = 25.0 kg/m2) men and women with type 2 diabetes who were randomized participants for the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) clinical trial. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Peak exercise capacity expressed as METs and estimated from treadmill speed and grade was measured during a graded exercise test designed to elicit a maximal effort. Other measures included waist circumference, BMI, type 2 diabetes duration, types of medication used, A1C, history of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, beta-blocker use, and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Peak exercise capacity was higher for men (8.0 +/- 2.1 METs) than for women (6.7 +/- 1.7 METs) (P < 0.001). Exercise capacity also decreased across each decade of age (P < 0.001) and with increasing BMI and waist circumference levels in both sexes. Older age, increased waist circumference and BMI, a longer duration of diabetes, increased A1C, a history of cardiovascular disease, having metabolic syndrome, beta-blocker use, and being African American compared with being Caucasian were associated with a lower peak exercise capacity for both sexes. Hypertension and use of diabetes medications were associated with lower peak exercise capacity in women. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with diabetes who are overweight or obese have impaired exercise capacity, which is primarily related to age, female sex, and race, as well as poor metabolic control, BMI, and central obesity.

Effects of a CHANGE intervention to increase exercise maintenance following cardiac events.

BACKGROUND: Despite participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program, there is a downward trajectory of exercise participation during the year following a cardiac event. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of CHANGE (Change Habits by Applying New Goals and Experiences), a lifestyle modification program designed to increase exercise maintenance in the year following a cardiac rehabilitation program. The CHANGE intervention consists of 5 small-group cognitive-behavioral change counseling sessions in which participants are taught self-efficacy enhancement, problem-solving skills, and relapse prevention strategies to address exercise maintenance problems. METHOD: Participants (N = 250) were randomly assigned to the CHANGE intervention (supplemental to usual care) or a usual-care-only group. Exercise was measured using portable wristwatch heart rate monitors worn during exercise for 1 year. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine differences in exercise over the study year between the study groups. RESULTS: Participants in the usual-care group were 76% more likely than those in the CHANGE group to stop exercising during the year following a cardiac rehabilitation program (hazard ratio = 1.76, 95% confidence interval = 1.08-2.86, p = .02) when adjusting for the significant covariates race, gender, comorbidity, muscle and joint pain, and baseline motivation. Most participants, however, had less than recommended levels of exercise amount and intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Counseling interventions that use contemporary behavior change strategies, such as the CHANGE intervention, can reduce the number of individuals who do not exercise following cardiac events.