Left ventricular volumes during exercise in endurance athletes assessed by contrast echocardiography.

AIM: The objective was to assess left ventricular (LV) volumes at rest and during upright submaximal exercise in endurance athletes to see whether changes in heart volume could explain the large predicted increase in cardiac output in endurance athletes. METHOD: Contrast echocardiography was used to assess changes in LV volumes during upright bicycle exercise in 24 healthy male endurance athletes. Maximal oxygen uptake and oxygen pulse were measured by using cardiopulmonary exercise testing. RESULTS: From rest to exercise at a heart rate of 160 beats min(-1) end-diastolic volume increased by 18% (P < 0.001) and end-systolic volume decreased by 21% (P = 0.002). Stroke volume showed an almost linear increase during exercise (45% increase, P < 0.001). The increase in end-diastolic volume contributed to 73% of the increase in stroke volume. No significant differences were observed between stroke volume calculated from LV volumes with contrast echocardiography and stroke volume calculated from oxygen pulse at heart rates of 130 and 160 beats min(-1). Using the linear regression equation between oxygen uptake and cardiac output assessed by echocardiography during exercise (r=0.87, P=0.002), cardiac output at maximal exercise was estimated at 33 +/- 3 L min(-1), with an estimated increase in stroke volume by 69% from rest to maximal exercise. CONCLUSION: By using contrast echocardiography, a large increase in stroke volume in endurance athletes could be explained by an almost linear increase in end-diastolic volume and an initial small decrease in end-systolic volume during incremental upright exercise.

The Fenyö-Lindberg scoring system for appendicitis increases positive predictive value in fertile women--a prospective study in 455 patients randomized to either laparoscopic or open appendectomy.

BACKGROUND: Suspected appendicitis is one of the most common indications for acute laparotomy or laparoscopy. The negative laparotomy and laparoscopy rates are high, often in the range of 15-30%, and especially high in some groups of patients such as women of child-bearing age and young patients. Different scoring systems have been introduced in order to improve diagnostic accuracy. The aim of the present study was to analyse the outcome of the Fenyö-Lindberg scoring system in a prospectively randomized multicenter trial and to analyze how well the score performed in stratified subgroups. METHODS: The variables of the Fenyö-Lindberg scoring system were collected in a prospective study comparing laparoscopic and open surgery in suspected appendicitis and with four participating centers. None of the hospitals had used the scoring system previously. Since surgeons were unfamiliar with the score, they could not use it as a diagnostic aid. When comparing the score with the clinical outcome, retrospectively, the investigators interpreting the score were blinded regarding the surgical outcome. RESULTS: Positive predictive value (PPV) of the Fenyö-Lindberg score was higher than that of the surgeon's clinical diagnosis in the patient cohort [0.90 vs 0.79 (p < 0.001)]. The score demonstrated an improvement of PPV in women [0.83 vs 0.70 (p < 0.01)]. PPV was increased in women between 15 and 50 years of age. In women aged 15-30 years and 31-50 years PPV increased from 0.69 to 0.82 and 0.68 to 0.86, respectively (p < 0.01). Both the sensitivity (0.77) and the specificity (0.69) of the score were, however, low. CONCLUSION: The Fenyö-Lindberg score is an inexpensive clinical tool that may improve the diagnostic accuracy for acute appendicitis in women of childbearing age, which is a group of patients where the diagnostic accuracy usually is low and where the arsenal of diagnostic tools such as computed tomography is limited because of radiation. The low specificity of the score in women of childbearing age must, however, be kept in mind.

[How to manage all those ECGs? Experiences with computer-based storage and interpretation of electrocardiograms in the county of Vastmanland]. / Hur hantera alla EKG? Erfarenheter från datoriserad lagring och tolkning av EKG i Västmanland.

We describe our experience using a database (Sicare, Siemens Elema) containing 381,000 ECGs covering 90% of all ECGs during 11 years in the county of Västmanland, Sweden, with 260,000 inhabitants. The database expedites rapid recovery of earlier ECGs. For instance, in patients admitted to coronary care with chest pain and ST-elevation, speedy access to an earlier ECG with identical ST-elevation may be crucial for avoiding unnecessary and potentially harmful thrombolysis. The database also enables us to select ECGs with a specific diagnosis, for instance atrial fibrillation. This facilitates characterization and quality control of treatment of atrial fibrillation in a well-defined population.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in a county in Sweden.

UNLABELLED: Overweight among young people in Sweden is increasing. The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency of overweight and obesity based on body mass index (BMI) values among children and adolescents. Overweight was defined as a BMI value > or = 91st percentile and obesity as a BMI value > 98th percentile on an international reference BMI curve. The study population included boys and girls from four age groups: 9, 12, 15 and 18 y. The data consisted of self-reported measures of height and weight that were obtained from questionnaires used in a cross-sectional study in December 1997. A validation study was performed using a part of the study population. A total of 7011 (81.7%) participants completed the questionnaire. The correlation between self-reported estimations and objective measures of height and weight was high in the oldest age groups (0.88-0.98), but lower in the 9-y-old age groups (0.37-0.72). These self-reported estimations in the 9-y-olds were excluded from further analysis. It was found that 12.3%, 11.6% and 11.4% of the boys in the 12-, 15- and 18-y-old age groups and 6.8%, 5.5% and 4.8% of the girls in the same age groups were overweight and 7.9%, 8.9% and 7.3% of the boys and 5.1%, 4.2% and 3.9% of the girls were obese. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was found to be high in the study population and is a serious public health problem. The prevalence of obesity was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in 15-y-old boys living in rural areas than in city and town dwellers of the same age.

Laparoscopic vs open appendectomy in overweight patients.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has been associated with a faster recovery and less postoperative pain than the open technique. However, few data are available on the clinical outcome of LA in overweight patients. METHODS: A group of 106 patients with a body mass index (BMI) > 26.4, representing the upper quintile of 500 prospectively randomized patients, were included in the study. They were randomized to undergo either laparoscopic or open appendectomy (OA). Operating and anesthesia times, postoperative pain, complications, hospital stay, functional index (1 week postoperatively), sick leave, and time to full recovery were documented. RESULTS: In OA, the operating time for overweight patients was significantly longer than that for patients in the normal weight range (40 vs 35 min, p < 0.05). In LA, there was no difference in operating time between the normal and overweight patients. Overweight patients who underwent LA had longer operating and anesthesia times than their OA counterparts (55 vs 40 min, p < 0.001; and 125 vs 100 min, p < 0.001, respectively). Postoperative pain was significantly greater in overweight patients who underwent OA than in those treated with the laparoscopic technique. Postoperative pain was also significantly greater in overweight patients subjected to OA than in patients of normal weight after 4 weeks; the clinical significance may, however, be of less importance since the values are low (0.26 vs 0.09, p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two operating techniques in terms of complications. Hospital stay was longer for overweight patients than for normal-weight patients undergoing OA (3.0 vs 2.0, p < 0.01). The functional index did not differ between any group of patients. Sick leave was longer for overweight patients who underwent OA than for normal-weight patients treated with the same technique (17 vs 13 days, p < 0.01). In the laparoscopic group, however, there were no differences between the overweight and normal-weight patients. Time to full recovery was greater in overweight patients subjected to OA than in the overweight patients in the LA group (22 vs 15 days, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, overweight patients who were submitted to LA had less postoperative pain and a faster postoperative recovery than overweight patients who had OA. LA also abolished some of the negative effects that overweight had on operating time, hospital stay, and sick leave with the open technique. However, anesthesia and operating times were significantly longer in LA for both overweight patients and those with a normal BMI.

Conversion from laparoscopic to open appendicectomy: a possible drawback of the laparoscopic technique?

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the reasons for, and outcome of, conversion from laparoscopic to open appendicectomy and to identify factors that may predict the need for conversion. DESIGN: Subgroup analysis from a randomised multicentre study. SETTING: One university hospital and four county hospitals, Sweden. SUBJECTS: A total of 500 patients were randomised to laparoscopic (n = 244) or open (n = 256) appendicectomy. Thirty operations (12%) were converted to open appendicectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reasons for conversion, outcome, and preoperative predictive variables. RESULTS: Difficult anatomy or the presence of an abscess were the main reasons for conversion (25/30). The incidence of perforated appendicitis was higher among patients who required conversion compared with both the open and laparoscopic group. Operating time, anaesthetic time, and duration of hospital stay were longer after conversion. Time to full recovery and length of sick leave were also longer, except for patients with perforated appendicitis. There was no difference in the complication rate. No predictive factors were identified. CONCLUSION: The main reasons for conversion were difficult anatomy and the presence of an abscess. After conversion patients recovered more slowly than those operated on laparoscopically or by primary open operation.

Left ventricular systolic dysfunction in 75-year-old men and women; a population-based study.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in 75-year-old men and women. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a population-based random sample of 75-year-old subjects (n=433; response rate 70.1%) the left ventricular systolic function was determined using two echocardiographic methods: (1) wall motion in nine left ventricular segments was visually scored and wall motion index was calculated as the mean value of the nine segments and (2) ejection fraction as measured by the disc summation method. Presence of heart failure was determined by a cardiologist's clinical evaluation. Wall motion index was achievable in 95% of the participants while ejection fraction was measurable in 65%. Normal values were obtained from a healthy subgroup (n=108) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction was defined as the 0.5th percentile of the wall motion index (i.e. <1.7). In participants in whom both ejection fraction and wall motion index were achievable, wall motion index <1.7 predicted ejection fraction <43% with a sensitivity and specificity of 84.0% and 99.6%, respectively. The prevalence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction was 6.8% (95% CI, 5.6--8.0%) and was greater in men than in women (10.2% vs 3.4%, P=0.006). Clinical evidence of heart failure was absent in 46% of the participants with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Left ventricular systolic dysfunction is common among 75-year-olds with a prevalence of 6.8% in our estimate. The condition is more likely to affect men than women. In nearly half of 75-year-olds with left ventricular systolic dysfunction there is no clinical evidence of heart failure.

Thallium-201 myocardial imaging at rest in male orienteers and other endurance athletes.

During the period 1979 to 1992, 16 sudden unexpected cardiac deaths were known to have occurred in young Swedish orienteers. Autopsy indicated myocarditis to be the most frequent finding, most often combined with extensive myocardial fibrosis. The aim of the present investigation was to explore whether young male orienteers show a higher frequency than other young elite endurance athletes (controls) in the occurrence of Thallium-201 myocardial perfusion defects at rest, suggestive of fibrosis evoked by myocarditis. Thallium-201 perfusion abnormalities at rest were more frequently found in the controls than in the orienteers (26% vs. 12%, p=0.03). Uneven Tl-201 perfusion was associated with left ventricular mass (r=0.32, r=0.24, p<0.01, p=0.02) and body weight (r=0.30, r=0.31, p<0.01, p=0.03) in orienteers and controls, respectively. Echocardiographic left ventricular wall motion abnormalities were found in 11 athletes (9 orienteers and 2 controls) but only two displayed an abnormal Thallium-201 perfusion scan at rest. Perfusion abnormalities at rest did not occur more frequently in the orienteers but were commonly found in both groups of apparently healthy athletes making it futile to discern abnormals from normals. Thallium-201 perfusion aberrations were not associated with left ventricular wall motion abnormalities obtained by echocardiography.

Monotherapy with amlodipine or atenolol versus their combination in stable angina pectoris.

BACKGROUND: The basic cause of angina pectoris is imbalance between the metabolic needs of the myocardium and the capacity of the coronary circulation to deliver sufficient oxygenated blood to satisfy these needs. HYPOTHESIS: The study was undertaken to evaluate whether the effect of combined amlodipine and atenolol therapy on patients with stable angina pectoris and with ST-depression during exercise testing and 48-h ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring is superior to that of either agent given alone. METHODS: Patients with stable angina pectoris and ST depression during exercise and ambulatory monitoring were randomized to receive amlodipine (n = 116) or atenolol (n = 116), or both (n = 119). All patients were also treated with short- and long-acting nitrates. The design was a double-blind, randomized, triple-arm parallel group study with 10 weeks of administration of the test medication. RESULTS: In terms of time to onset of ST depression > 1 mm, time to onset of angina, total exercise time, maximum achieved workload, and peak intensity of angina, amlodipine and atenolol alone were as effective as their combination. During ambulatory monitoring, atenolol was more effective than amlodipine regarding total time and number of ST-depression episodes, and as effective as the combined drugs. CONCLUSION: For individual patients with stable angina pectoris, combination of a beta blocker with a calcium antagonist is not necessarily more effective than either drug given alone.

Quality of life assessment of treatment with dental appliance or UPPP in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea. A prospective randomized 1-year follow-up study.

The objectives of this study were: to evaluate the change in the three quality of life (QOL) dimensions of vitality, contentment and sleep before intervention and 1 year after treatment with a dental appliance or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP); to compare the effect of treatment between these two treatment groups on these three dimensions; and to determine the relation between the QOL scores and somnographic values. Ninety-five patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) (AI > 5) were randomly allocated to either a dental appliance or UPPP treatment group. Seven patients withdrew after randomization but before treatment, leaving 88 patients eligible for treatment. The patients were examined using somnography and administered the Minor Symptoms Evaluation-Profile (MSE-P), a QOL questionnaire, before and 1 year after intervention. Thirty-seven patients in the dental appliance group and 43 in the UPPP group completed the 1-year follow-up. The mean values for the three dimensions vitality, contentment and sleep improved significantly 1 year after intervention in the dental appliance and UPPP groups. No difference in the QOL scores at baseline was noted between the groups. One year after intervention the UPPP group showed significantly more contentment than the dental appliance group. In contrast, vitality and sleep dimensions did not differ between the two treatment groups. No significant correlations were observed between the QOL scores and somnographic values. In conclusion, quality of life improved significantly in the dental appliance and UPPP groups 1 year after intervention. However, the dental appliance group showed a lower level of contentment than the UPPP group, even though the somnographic values were superior in the former group.

Imaging of aortoiliac arterial disease. Duplex ultrasound and MR angiography versus digital subtraction angiography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of duplex ultrasound (US) and MR angiography (MRA) at 1.0 T in aortoiliac arterial disease using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference standard. In addition, a comparison of the 2D time-of-flight (TOF) and 3D contrast-enhanced MRA (CE MRA) techniques was performed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospectively, 39 patients with symptoms of lower-extremity arterial occlusive disease were examined using US, TOF MRA, CE MRA and DSA. Significant lesions (stenosis > or =50%) and occlusions were evaluated blindly for each method. RESULTS: For all segments, the sensitivity for US, TOF MRA and CE MRA with regard to significant lesions was 0.72, 0.81 and 0.81, respectively, and the specificity for each was 0.97, 0.91 and 0.92, respectively. For significant lesions above the inguinal ligament the corresponding sensitivity was 0.84, 0.89 and 0.94 and the specificity 0.93, 0.82 and 0.73, respectively. The specificity was higher when the two MRA methods were combined. TOF MRA overgraded 7 segments as occluded. In most cases, the length of the occlusions was correctly determined on CE MRA, overestimated on TOF MRA and uncertain on US. CONCLUSION: Neither US nor MRA were sufficiently accurate to fully replace angiography. MRA was preferable to US as a non-invasive test when vascular intervention was contemplated. Although CE MRA was superior to TOF MRA, the most accurate results were achieved when the two methods were combined.

Effects and adverse events of a dental appliance for treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea.

In a prospective study, 95 patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) were randomised to receive either surgical treatment, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, (4-6 patients) or treatment with a nocturnal dental appliance for mandibular advancement (49 patients). Of the 49 dental appliance patients, 37 completed the 12-month follow-up. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and adverse events of dental appliance treatment from a one-year perspective. Somnography was employed to measure treatment effects before and 12 months post-treatment. At the 12-month control, somnography was performed twice: the first time with the dental appliance and the second time without it. Adverse events were recorded 2 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment was initiated. The patients used the dental appliance on average 6 nights/week. After 12 months of treatment, the apnoea, apnoea/hypopnoea, oxygen desaturation, and snoring indices decreased significantly. Ninety-five per cent of the patients reduced their apnoea index by > or = 50% and 78% of the patients were normalised following treatment. At the somnographic registration without the dental appliance, the values were found comparable to what they were before treatment. Mandibular mobility and occlusion were constant throughout the study. The adverse events resulting from using the dental appliance were relatively minor and infrequent, and no serious complications were observed except for two patients who reported pain from the temporomandibular joint. In conclusion, the dental appliance has been shown to be a valuable treatment method for mild to moderate OSA with few adverse events in the stomatognathic system or other complications.

A prospective randomized study of a dental appliance compared with uvulopalatopharyngoplasty in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea.

The enthusiasm for uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has declined in recent years, partly because of a lower success rate over time and partly because of adverse effects. Reports on the beneficial effects of dental appliances exist, but only one prospective randomized study has been published comparing dental appliances with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. No study has been published comparing dental appliance treatment with UPPP. Ninety-five male patients with confirmed OSA, subjective daytime sleepiness and an apnoea index (AI) > 5 were randomized for subsequent treatment with either a dental appliance or UPPP. There were 49 patients in the dental appliance group and 46 in the UPPP group. Thirty-seven patients in the dental appliance group and 43 in the UPPP group completed the 12-month follow-up. The success rate (rate of patients with at least a 50% reduction in AI) for the dental appliance group was 95%, which was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than the 70% success rate for the UPPP group. According to the criteria for OSA (apnoea index > or = 5 or apnoea/hypopnoea index > or = 10), 78% of the dental appliance group and 51% of the UPPP group were normalized after 12 months. The difference between the groups was significant (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the dental appliance technique is useful in the treatment of mild to moderate OSA.

Cost-minimisation analysis of laparoscopic and open appendicectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the direct and indirect costs of laparoscopic and open appendicectomy. DESIGN: Randomised study. SETTING: University hospital, Sweden. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total costs for a defined period of time for each option. RESULTS: 102 patients were randomised and 99 were included in the final analysis. All patients had completely recovered within two months of operation. Disposable extra material used for the laparoscopic operation and longer operating time raised its median cost by SEK 912 and 1785, respectively. The mean duration of hospital stay, period off work (indirect costs), and time to complete recovery did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic appendicectomy has higher direct costs than open operation and is not as cost-effective when the longterm outcome is the same in both groups.

Wall motion abnormalities in male elite orienteers are aggravated by exercise.

During the period 1979-92, 16 (15 men and one woman) sudden unexpected cardiac deaths occurred among young Swedish orienteers. This finding indicated a sharp increase in the death rate of orienteers, and necropsy demonstrated that myocarditis was a common histopathological finding. Therefore, an extensive non-invasive cardiac investigation was performed. A total of 59 male élite orienteers (mean age 23 years) and 36 cross-country skiers and middle-distance runners (mean age 22 years), serving as controls, were examined by both echocardiography at rest and radionuclide ventriculography at rest and during exercise. Wall motion abnormalities were found in eight orienteers using echocardiography. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the group of orienteers with wall motion abnormalities found using echocardiography had a smaller increase in ejection fraction from rest to exercise using radionuclide ventriculography than the rest of the orienteers and the controls, indicating an aggravation of the wall motion abnormalities during exercise. There were no significant differences in the ejection fraction at rest between the groups. In the orienteers with wall motion abnormalities (group 1), 62% (five out of eight) had less than a 0.05 unit increase in left ventricular ejection fraction compared with 27% (14 out of 51) of the remaining orienteers (group 2) and 19% (7 out of 36) of the controls (group 3). A comparison of athletes in group 1 with those in groups 2 and 3 combined revealed a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The divergent response in left ventricular ejection fraction during exercise suggests an aggravation of the wall motion abnormalities with exercise. Both the echocardiographic and the radionuclide ventriculographic findings indicate that the orienteers in group 1 had concealed left ventricular damage.

An echocardiographic study of right and left ventricular adaptation to physical exercise in elite female orienteers.

BACKGROUND: A considerable body of echocardiographic studies has described how athletic training induces morphological adaptation of the left ventricle in male endurance athletes, but only a few studies have described left ventricular adaptation in female endurance athletes. In contrast to changes in the left ventricle far less attention has been directed towards right ventricular changes due to extensive physical exercise. The purpose of this study was to obtain normal values and to determine if there are any differences in right and left ventricular cavity and wall dimensions between female orienteers and females with a mainly sedentary lifestyle. METHODS: Echocardiography was performed in 42 highly trained elite female orienteers and 32 healthy female students with a predominantly sedentary lifestyle. The 74 females had no history of cardiac disease, a normal electrocardiogram and showed no echocardiographic abnormalities. M-mode and two-dimensional measurements of the right and left ventricular cavity and wall were obtained in elite orienteers and sedentary females. For the right ventricle and wall, multiple cross-sections were used and measurements were obtained from the right ventricular inflow and outflow tract. RESULTS: The left ventricular end-diastolic cavity dimension and the left ventricular wall thickness were significantly greater in the athletes compared with the sedentary controls. The right ventricular inflow tract measurements were all significantly greater in the orienteers compared with the controls but the right ventricular outflow tract measurements were comparable in the study groups. The right ventricular wall thickness, calculated as the mean of three different wall measurements was an average of 13% greater in the athletes compared with the sedentary controls. CONCLUSION: This study suggests symmetrical cardiac enlargement with a concomitant increase in both the right and left ventricular wall, probably reflecting the increased haemodynamic loading in the female athletes.

Prospective randomized multicentre study of laparoscopic versus open appendicectomy.

BACKGROUND: A prospective randomized multicentre study was performed to compare the outcome of laparoscopic and open appendicectomy in patients with suspected acute appendicitis. METHODS: A total of 523 patients was randomized, but because of 23 withdrawals the outcome in 500 patients is reported, 244 in the laparoscopic group and 256 in the open group. RESULTS: Patients having laparoscopic appendicectomy recovered more quickly than those having open surgery (13 versus 21 days, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in duration of sick leave after operation (laparoscopic group 11 days versus open group 14 days). Postoperative pain (at 24 h, 7 days and 14 days) was less after laparoscopic operations and a functional index 1 week after operation was more favourable in these patients (P < 0.001). Operating time was significantly longer in the laparoscopic group (60 versus 35 min, P < 0.01). Hospital stay and complications did not differ between the groups. Thirty laparoscopic procedures (12 per cent) were converted to open appendicectomy. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic appendicectomy is as safe as open appendicectomy and has the advantage of allowing a quicker recovery.

Cannulated screws for fixation of femoral neck fractures. No difference between Uppsala screws and Richards screws in a randomized prospective study of 268 cases.

We compared 2 types of cannulated hip screws in a randomized prospective study of 268 femoral neck fractures. Complications were defined as penetration of the screw into the joint, early redisplacement, nonunion or segmental collapse. During the first year, complications were noted in 31 of 130 patients treated with 3 Richards screws and in 34 of 138 patients treated with 2 Uppsala screws. Secondary arthroplasty was performed in 17 cases in the Richards group and in 16 cases in the Uppsala group. Clinical outcome did not differ between the groups.

An echocardiographic study of right ventricular adaptation to physical exercise in elite male orienteers.

Considerably more publications appear on left ventricular morphology than on the right ventricle. The reasons for this imbalance are related to the complex shape of the right ventricular cavity and its position beneath the sternum, making imaging, measurement and functional assessment much more complex than the left ventricular chamber. Little attention has been directed towards right ventricular changes because of training, therefore the present study was designed to assess right ventricular changes due to extensive training by comparing cavity and wall dimensions in 29 sedentary men (mean age 23 years) and 82 elite male orienteers (mean age 22 years). The elite orienteers had on average significantly larger right ventricular outflow (10%) and right ventricular inflow (12%) tract 2 and 3 dimensions. The right ventricular wall measurements were on average 13% larger in the orienteers than the sedentary men. The right ventricular enlargement in endurance athletes probably reflects the increased haemodynamic loading that is caused by prolonged and extensive physical training. The thicker right ventricular wall in endurance athletes increases the contractile reserve and decreases wall stress in the right ventricle.

Whole-body cooling increases plasma endothelin-1 levels in women with primary Raynaud's phenomenon.

To understand better the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathogenesis of primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP), we investigated the basal ET-1 plasma levels and changes after whole-body cooling in healthy women and those with PRP. The study was performed as an open parallel-group comparison during the month of February. The Raynaud group included 21 female patients (mean age 45.3 years, range 21-57 years) who had had disabling Raynaud's phenomenon for a mean period of 17 years (range 2-26 years). The control group consisted of 25 healthy women (mean age 43.6 years, range 27-56 years). Plasma levels of ET-1 were measured on two separate occasions: once after 30 min of rest at room temperature and after 40 min of whole-body cooling. There were no significant differences in baseline plasma ET-1 levels between the two groups of women. The plasma ET-1 levels increased significantly in the PRP group after cold exposure (mean difference 0.11 pmol l-1, 95% CI 0.005-0.214, P = 0.012). In contrast, the levels of plasma ET-1 in the control group did not change significantly after cold provocation. In conclusion, no differences in plasma basal levels of ET-1 were observed between the two groups. However, women suffering from Raynaud's phenomenon responded with a slight but significant elevation in plasma levels of ET-1 after whole-body cooling, whereas the healthy control subjects did not. The results from the present study confirm previous observations that endothelial dysfunction may be of aetiological importance in PRP.