Exercise for counteracting weight recurrence after bariatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Exercise is recommended to prevent post-surgical weight recurrence. Yet, whether exercise interventions are efficacious in this regard has not been systematically evaluated. Moreover, clinicians lack evidence-based information to advise patients on appropriate exercise frequency, intensity, time, and type (FITT) for preventing weight recurrence. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving exercise interventions specifying FITT and weight measurement ≥12 months post-surgery. We reviewed scientific databases up through February 2022 for RCTs comparing exercise interventions reporting FITT and a nonexercise control group on weight ≥12 months post-surgery. Procedures following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were registered at the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42022342337). Of 1368 studies reviewed, 5 met inclusion criteria (n = 189; 47.8 ± 4.2 yr, 36.1 6 ± 3.8 kg·m2, 83.2 ± 9.5% female; 61.7% underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass). Exercise interventions were largely supervised, lasted 12-26 weeks, and prescribed 80-210 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous intensity combined aerobic and resistance exercise over ≤5 days. Within-group effects showed non-statistically significant weight loss for exercise (d = - .15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.96, 1.65; -1.4 kg; P = .87) and weight gain for control (d = .11, 95% CI: -1.70,1.92; +1.0 kg; P = .90), with no difference between these groups (d = -2.26, 95% CI: -2.07, 1.55; -2.4 kg; P = .78). Exercise elicited an additional 2.4 kg weight loss versus control, although this effect was small and statistically non-significant. Ability to draw definitive conclusions regarding efficacy of exercise interventions for counteracting post-surgical weight recurrence was limited by the small number of trials and methodological issues. Findings highlight the need for more rigorous RCTs of exercise interventions specifically designed to reduce post-surgical weight recurrence.

Professional Exercise Recommendations for Healthy Women Who Are Pregnant: A Systematic Review.

Background: Exercise in pregnancy favorably affects maternal and fetal outcomes, yet only 50% of women receive exercise guidance during prenatal care and 15% are told to stop exercising. Reasons for clinician reluctance to recommend exercise include safety concerns and ambiguity of recommendations. To better inform clinicians, this systematic review assembled a consensus exercise prescription (ExRx) for healthy pregnant women framed by the Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type (FITT) principle. Methods: In April 2021, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Cochrane databases were searched. Reports were eligible if: (1) targeted healthy pregnant women, (2) framed the ExRx by the FITT, and (3) published by a professional society from 2000 to 2021 in English. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II tool assessed risk of bias. Results: Twelve reports of poor to good quality were included. Nine societies conducted systematic reviews, but only three provided a detailed, transparent description of the review conducted. Although the FITT varied, the most common was most days of the week, moderate intensity, 30 minutes/session to accumulate 150 minutes/week, and aerobic, resistance, and flexibility exercise with three societies advising neuromotor exercise. All professional societies specified activities to avoid and eight societies included contraindications to exercise. Conclusions: This systematic review produced a consensus ExRx for healthy pregnant women to better inform clinicians about advising their patients to exercise during pregnancy. Future research is needed to determine the upper limits of exercise while pregnant and provide better informed guidance relating to safety concerns for women who are pregnant.

The impact of body fat on thermoregulation during exercise in the heat: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effect of body fat on thermoregulatory responses to exercise in the heat. DESIGN: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. METHODS: We systematically searched databases (N = 8) for studies that included: healthy participants; an aerobic exercise intervention under heat stress; a measure of body fat by a high and low body fat group; pre- and post-exercise internal temperature, and/or post-exercise mean skin temperature and whole body sweat loss. Criteria to distinguish high body fat and low body fat were determined by each qualifying study. Out of 1222 potential studies, 10 qualified. Robust variance estimation models were utilized to determine the pooled effect size (ES, 95% CI) for interventions that performed unbias comparisons between groups. RESULTS: Participants (n = 211) were mostly male (70%) and young (19.3 ±â€¯7.1 years) with a maximal oxygen consumption of 50.42 ±â€¯9.3 ml∙kg-1∙min-1 by high body fat (36.7 ±â€¯11.8%) and low body fat (17.8 ±â€¯5.7%). Exercise duration was between 30 and 60 min at moderate-high intensity (44.1-71.4% VO2max) at 28-40.3 °C and 26-50% humidity. Of the 7 interventions that normalized metabolic heat production to body mass and 5 interventions that normalized to external workload, there were no differences in any of the three outcome variables between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the included studies did not control for confounding factors that may affect the relationship between body fat and thermoregulation during exercise in the heat such as metabolic heat production and body mass. Given the small number of interventions included, future work must make unbiased comparisons to appropriately assess the independent influence of body fat.

Do the combined blood pressure effects of exercise and antihypertensive medications add up to the sum of their parts? A systematic meta-review.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the blood pressure (BP) effects of exercise alone (EXalone), medication alone (MEDSalone) and combined (EX+MEDScombined) among adults with hypertension. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SPORTDiscus and the Cochrane Library. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trails (RCTs) or meta-analyses (MAs) of controlled trials that: (1) involved healthy adults>18 year with hypertension; (2) investigated exercise and BP; (3) reported preintervention and postintervention BP and (4) were published in English. RCTs had an EX+MEDScombined arm; and an EXalone arm and/or an MEDSalone arm; and MAs performed moderator analyses. DESIGN: A systematic network MA and meta-review with the evidence graded using the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee system. OUTCOME: The BP response for EXalone, MEDSalone and EX+MEDScombined and compared with each other. RESULTS: Twelve RCTs qualified with 342 subjects (60% women) who were mostly physically inactive, middle-aged to older adults. There were 13 qualifying MAs with 28 468 participants (~50% women) who were mostly Caucasian or Asian. Most RCTs were aerobic (83.3%), while the MAs involved traditional (46%) and alternative (54%) exercise types. Strong evidence demonstrates EXalone, MEDSalone and EX+MEDScombined reduce BP and EX+MEDScombined elicit BP reductions less than the sum of their parts. Strong evidence indicates EX+MEDScombined potentiate the BP effects of MEDSalone. Although the evidence is stronger for alternative than traditional types of exercise, EXaloneelicits greater BP reductions than MEDSalone. CONCLUSIONS: The combined BP effects of exercise and medications are not additive or synergistic, but when combined they bolster the antihypertensive effects of MEDSalone. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: The protocol is registered at PROSPERO CRD42020181754.

Tai Ji Quan as antihypertensive lifestyle therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Professional health organizations are not currently recommending Tai Ji Quan alongside aerobic exercise to treat hypertension. We aimed to examine the efficacy of Tai Ji Quan as antihypertensive lifestyle therapy. METHODS: Tai Ji Quan interventions published in English and Chinese were included when they involved healthy adults, reported pre- and post-intervention blood pressure (BP), and had a non-exercise/non-diet control group. We systematically searched 11 electronic databases for studies published through July 31, 2018, yielding 31 qualifying controlled trials. We (1) evaluated the risk of bias and methodological study quality, (2) performed meta-regression analyses following random-effects assumptions, and (3) generated additive models representing the largest possible clinically relevant BP reductions. RESULTS: Participants (n = 3223) were middle-aged (56.6 ± 15.1 years of age, mean ± SD) adults with prehypertension (systolic BP (SBP) = 136.9 ± 15.2 mmHg, diastolic BP (DBP) = 83.4 ± 8.7 mmHg). Tai Ji Quan was practiced 4.0 ± 1.4 sessions/week for 54.0 ± 10.6 min/session for 22.3 ± 20.2 weeks. Overall, Tai Ji Quan elicited significant reductions in SBP (-11.3 mmHg, 95%CI: -14.6 to -8.0; d+ = -0.75) and DBP (-4.8 mmHg, 95%CI: -6.4 to -3.1; d+ = -0.53) vs. control (p < 0.001). Controlling for publication bias among samples with hypertension, Tai Ji Quan trials published in English elicited SBP reductions of 10.4 mmHg and DBP reductions of 4.0 mmHg, which was half the magnitude of trials published in Chinese (SBP reductions of 18.6 mmHg and DBP reductions of 8.8 mmHg). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that Tai Ji Quan is a viable antihypertensive lifestyle therapy that produces clinically meaningful BP reductions (i.e., 10.4 mmHg and 4.0 mmHg of SBP and DBP reductions, respectively) among individuals with hypertension. Such magnitude of BP reductions can lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease by up to 40%.

Links between discrimination and cardiovascular health among socially stigmatized groups: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: There is a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease across diverse groups in the U.S. population, and increasing research has identified stigma as a potential barrier to cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment. This systematic review examines evidence linking discrimination and cardiovascular health among socially stigmatized groups. STUDY DESIGN: Six databases were systematically reviewed from inception through February 2018 for studies with adult subjects, focusing on cardiovascular health indicators among social groups stigmatized because of their gender, race/ethnicity, age, body weight/obesity, or sexual orientation. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality and risk of bias for nonrandomized studies, and the Cochrane Collaboration 7-item domain for randomized controlled and experimental trials. RESULTS: The search identified 84 eligible studies published between 1984 and 2017. Studies retrieved were categorized according to demonstrated links between stigma and cardiovascular disease risk factors including blood pressure (n = 45), heart rate variability (n = 6), blood/saliva cardiovascular biomarkers (n = 18), as well as other indicators of cardiovascular health (n = 15). Based on the findings from included studies, 86% concluded that there was a significant relationship among stigma or discrimination and cardiovascular health indicators among socially stigmatized groups. However, there were varying degrees of evidence supporting these relationships, depending on the type of discrimination and cardiovascular health indicator. The current evidence implies an association between perceived discrimination and cardiovascular health. However, a majority of these studies are cross-sectional (73%) and focus on racial discrimination (79%), while using a wide variety of measurements to assess social discrimination and cardiovascular health. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should include longitudinal and randomized controlled trial designs, with larger and more diverse samples of individuals with stigmatized identities, using consistent measurement approaches to assess social discrimination and its relationship with cardiovascular health.

A Systematically Assembled Signature of Genes to be Deep-Sequenced for Their Associations with the Blood Pressure Response to Exercise.

:Background: Exercise is one of the best nonpharmacologic therapies to treat hypertension. The blood pressure (BP) response to exercise is heritable. Yet, the genetic basis for the antihypertensive effects of exercise remains elusive. Methods: To assemble a prioritized gene signature, we performed a systematic review with a series of Boolean searches in PubMed (including Medline) from earliest coverage. The inclusion criteria were human genes in major BP regulatory pathways reported to be associated with: (1) the BP response to exercise; (2) hypertension in genome-wide association studies (GWAS); (3) the BP response to pharmacotherapy; (4a) physical activity and/or obesity in GWAS; and (4b) BP, physical activity, and/or obesity in non-GWAS. Included GWAS reports disclosed the statistically significant thresholds used for multiple testing. Results: The search yielded 1422 reports. Of these, 57 trials qualified from which we extracted 11 genes under criteria 1, 18 genes under criteria 2, 28 genes under criteria 3, 27 genes under criteria 4a, and 29 genes under criteria 4b. We also included 41 genes identified from our previous work. Conclusions: Deep-sequencing the exons of this systematically assembled signature of genes represents a cost and time efficient approach to investigate the genomic basis for the antihypertensive effects of exercise.

Yoga as Antihypertensive Lifestyle Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of yoga as antihypertensive lifestyle therapy and identify moderators that account for variability in the blood pressure (BP) response to yoga. METHODS: We systematically searched 6 electronic databases from inception through June 4, 2018, for articles published in English language journals on trials of yoga interventions that involved adult participants, reported preintervention and postintervention BP, and had a nonexercise/nondiet control group. Our search yielded 49 qualifying controlled trials (56 interventions). We (1) evaluated the risk of bias and methodological study quality, (2) performed meta-regression analysis following random-effects assumptions, and (3) generated additive models that represented the largest possible clinically relevant BP reductions. RESULTS: On average, the 3517 trial participants were middle-aged (49.2±19.5 years), overweight (27.9±3.6 kg/m2) adults with high BP (systolic BP, 129.3±13.3 mm Hg; diastolic BP, 80.7±8.4 mm Hg). Yoga was practiced 4.8±3.4 sessions per week for 59.2±25.0 minutes per session for 13.2±7.5 weeks. On average, yoga elicited moderate reductions in systolic BP (weighted mean effect size, -0.47; 95% CI, -0.62-0.32, -5.0 mm Hg) and diastolic BP (weighted mean effect size, -0.47; 95% CI, -0.61 to -0.32; -3.9 mm Hg) compared with controls (P<.001 for both systolic BP and diastolic BP). Controlling for publication bias and methodological study quality, when yoga was practiced 3 sessions per week among samples with hypertension, yoga interventions that included breathing techniques and meditation/mental relaxation elicited BP reductions of 11/6 mm Hg compared with those that did not (ie, 6/3 mm Hg). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that yoga is a viable antihypertensive lifestyle therapy that produces the greatest BP benefits when breathing techniques and meditation/mental relaxation are included.

Can Exercise Improve Cognitive Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease?

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of exercise training on cognitive function in individuals at risk of or diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD). DESIGN: Meta-analysis. SETTING: PubMed, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and ProQuest were searched from inception until August 1, 2017. PARTICIPANTS: Nineteen studies with 23 interventions including 1,145 subjects with a mean age of 77.0 ± 7.5 were included. Most subjects were at risk of AD because they had mild cognitive impairment (64%) or a parent diagnosed with AD (1%), and 35% presented with AD. INTERVENTION: Controlled studies that included an exercise-only intervention and a nondiet, nonexercise control group and reported pre- and post-intervention cognitive function measurements. MEASUREMENTS: Cognitive function before and after the intervention and features of the exercise intervention. RESULTS: Exercise interventions were performed 3.4 ± 1.4 days per week at moderate intensity (3.7 ± 0.6 metabolic equivalents) for 45.2 ± 17.0 minutes per session for 18.6 ± 10.0 weeks and consisted primarily of aerobic exercise (65%). Overall, there was a modest favorable effect of exercise on cognitive function (d+  = 0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.26-0.68). Within-group analyses revealed that exercise improved cognitive function (d+w  = 0.20, 95% CI  = 0.11-0.28), whereas cognitive function declined in the control group (d+w  = -0.18, 95% CI  = -0.36 to 0.00). Aerobic exercise had a moderate favorable effect on cognitive function (d+w  = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.35-0.95), but other exercise types did not (d+w  = 0.19, 95% CI = -0.06-0.43). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that exercise training may delay the decline in cognitive function that occurs in individuals who are at risk of or have AD, with aerobic exercise possibly having the most favorable effect. Additional randomized controlled clinical trials that include objective measurements of cognitive function are needed to confirm our findings.

Dynamic Resistance Training as Stand-Alone Antihypertensive Lifestyle Therapy: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Aerobic exercise (AE) is recommended as first-line antihypertensive lifestyle therapy based on strong evidence showing that it lowers blood pressure (BP) 5 to 7 mm Hg among adults with hypertension. Because of weaker evidence showing that dynamic resistance training (RT) reduces BP 2 to 3 mm Hg among adults with hypertension, it is recommended as adjuvant lifestyle therapy to AE training. Yet, existing evidence suggests that dynamic RT can lower BP as much or more than AE. METHODS AND RESULTS: We meta-analyzed 64 controlled studies (71 interventions) to determine the efficacy of dynamic RT as stand-alone antihypertensive therapy. Participants (N=2344) were white (57%), middle-aged (47.2±19.0 years), and overweight (26.8±3.4 kg/m(2)) adults with prehypertension (126.7±10.3/76.8±8.7 mm Hg); 15% were on antihypertensive medication. Overall, moderate-intensity dynamic RT was performed 2.8±0.6 days/week for 14.4±7.9 weeks and elicited small-to-moderate reductions in systolic BP (SBP; d+=-0.31; 95% CIs, -0.43, -0.19; -3.0 mm Hg) and diastolic BP (DBP; d+=-0.30; 95% CIs, -0.38, -0.18; -2.1 mm Hg) compared to controls (Ps<0.001). Greater BP reductions occurred among samples with higher resting SBP/DBP: ≈6/5 mm Hg for hypertension, ≈3/3 mm Hg for prehypertension, and ≈0/1 mm Hg for normal BP (Ps<0.023). Furthermore, nonwhite samples with hypertension experienced BP reductions that were approximately twice the magnitude of those previously reported following AE training (-14.3 mm Hg [95% CIs, -19.0, -9.4]/-10.3 mm Hg [95% CIs, -14.5, -6.2]). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that for nonwhite adult samples with hypertension, dynamic RT may elicit BP reductions that are comparable to or greater than those reportedly achieved with AE training. Dynamic RT should be further investigated as a viable stand-alone therapeutic exercise option for adult populations with high BP.

Is Concurrent Training Efficacious Antihypertensive Therapy? A Meta-analysis.

: Aerobic exercise training and, to a lesser degree, dynamic resistance training, are recommended to lower blood pressure (BP) among adults with hypertension. Yet the combined influence of these exercise modalities, termed concurrent exercise training (CET), on resting BP is unclear. PURPOSE: This study aimed to meta-analyze the literature to determine the efficacy of CET as antihypertensive therapy. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for trials that included the following: adults (>19 yr), controlled CET interventions, and BP measured pre- and postintervention. Study quality was assessed with a modified Downs and Black Checklist. Analyses incorporated random-effects assumptions. RESULTS: Sixty-eight trials yielded 76 interventions. Subjects (N = 4110) were middle- to older-age (55.8 ± 14.4 yr), were overweight (28.0 ± 3.6 kg·m), and had prehypertension (systolic BP [SBP]/diastolic BP [DBP] = 134.6 ± 10.9/80.7 ± 7.5 mm Hg). CET was performed at moderate intensity (aerobic = 55% maximal oxygen consumption, resistance = 60% one-repetition maximum), 2.9 ± 0.7 d·wk for 58.3 ± 20.1 min per session for 19.7 ± 17.8 wk. Studies were of moderate quality, satisfying 60.7% ± 9.4% of quality items. Overall, CET moderately reduced SBP (db = -0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.44 to -0.20, -3.2 mm Hg) and DBP (db = -0.35, 95% CI = -0.47 to -0.22, -2.5 mm Hg) versus control (P < 0.01). However, greater SBP/DBP reductions were observed among samples with hypertension in trials of higher study quality that also examined BP as the primary outcome (-9.2 mm Hg [95% CI = -12.0 to -8.0]/-7.7 mm Hg [95% CI = -14.0 to -8.0]). CONCLUSIONS: Among samples with hypertension in trials of higher study quality, CET rivals aerobic exercise training as antihypertensive therapy. Because of the moderate quality of this literature, additional randomized controlled CET trials that examine BP as a primary outcome among samples with hypertension are warranted to confirm our promising findings.

The benefits of library liaison programs for small libraries: an overview.

Library liaison programs are commonly used and provide a successful framework for communication in academic libraries. Liaison programs, whereby librarians are formally designated as the primary contact between the library and one or more departmental or administrative units, are proven to improve the transfer of information between the library and users, to improve the quality of collections and services, and to enhance the library's image. Previously published literature on liaison programs is primarily devoted to large-scale liaison programs in academic settings, the market where this model is commonly employed. Small hospital and other smaller libraries are nearly absent in the literature, reflecting the low level of liaison use in the smaller library setting. This article invites hospital and other smaller libraries to explore the liaison model by presenting common liaison goals and activities that are not only pertinent to, but also scalable, adaptable, and adoptable by smaller and larger libraries alike.