[Traumatologic risk in ambulatory cardiac rehabilitation groups to leisure time sports groups of healthy athletes]. / Risiko von Sportverletzungen in ambulanten Herzsportgruppen im Vergleich zu Freizeitsportgruppen Gesunder. Sportverletzungen in der ambulanten kardiologischen Rehabilitation.

INTRODUCTION: Rehabilitation in ambulatory heart groups has become well established in comprehensive cardiac care. The prevention of injuries is critical to the safety and efficiency of the program. METHODS: Questionnaires were mailed to the ambulatory heart groups in the state of Hessen, Germany and answered by 1935/13 000 (15 %) patients (65.9 +/- 7.6 years, 1504/1935 (77.7 %) men covering approximately 674,000 patient exercise hours. RESULTS: Seventy-eight of the 106 (73.6 %) injuries reported occurred during games encompassing 28/106 (26.4 %) strains, 24/106 (22.6 %) bruises, 17/106 (16.0 %) sprains, 11/106 (10.4 %) bone fractures, 6/106 (5.7 %) ruptured tendons, 8/106 (7.5 %) ruptured muscles, 3/106 (2.8 %) ruptured ligaments, and 9/106 (8.5 %) miscellaneous. The injury risk was neither related to the cardiovascular diagnosis, the prevalence of diabetes, body mass index, previous sport experience, duration of participation in rehabilitation programs, nor to the participant's age. Patients on anticoagulants or after cardiovascular surgery had no excess risk. Gender was the only independent predictor of injuries. In men the overall incidence of injuries was higher (97/1504 [6.4 %]) than in women (9/431 [2.1 %]), p < 0.0005) while the severity was higher in women (6/9 = 66.7 % vs. 22/97 = 22.7 % p < 0.001). The injuries were treated by elastic bandages or band-aids in 69/106 (65.1 %), by splinting in 4/106 (3.8 %), by local injections in 4/106 (3.8 %), by massages in 3/106 (2.8 %), and by others in 26/106 (24.5 %). Five of the 106 (4.7 %) injuries required hospitalization. CONCLUSION: The traumatologic risk in the rehabilitation of cardiovascular outpatients is associated with a low incidence of injuries.

Studies of the elderly in Boston. I. The effects of iron fortification on moderately anemic peole.

It has been reported that large numbers of elderly Americans are moderately anemic because of iron deficiency anemia. In the present study, information has been obtained concerning blood composition, health, and nutritional habits of 779 people over 60 years of age, institutionalized or free-living in the Boston area. This paper presents the results of their blood examinations. Two hundred twenty-one of the free-living people examined who showed hemoglobin levels between 9 and 12.9 g/dl agreed to participate in an iron fortification study. Two-thirds of them received iron-fortified grain products daily for 6 to 8 months. The rest received the same foods without added iron. At the end of the experimental period a marked increase in hemoglobin levels averaging 1.4 g/dl was observed in both groups. This appeared to be attributable to an undefined intervention effect; no measurable effects attributable to the iron fortification were observed. Three months of daily ferrous sulfate administration to those whose hemoglobin levels remained below 13 g/dl was without effect. Examination of the data obtained suggests that the cause of the moderately low hemoglobin levels initially observed was not occult bleeding or folic acid or iron deficiency.

[Life style changes in patients with myocardial infarct in the framework of intramural and ambulatory rehabilitation--results of a German pilot study]. / Lebensstiländerung bei Herzinfarktpatienten im Rahmen der stationären und ambulanten Rehabilitation--Ergebnisse einer deutschen Pilotstudie.

To assess whether German patients would make comprehensive lifestyle changes as designed and successfully tested in the San Francisco Lifestyle Heart Trial, we recruited 25 patients who received usual care, and 15 patients who made lifestyle changes during a 6-week in-hospital rehabilitation program followed by a 3-month ambulatory period. The intervention program consisted of a low-fat vegetarian diet, stress management techniques, aerobic exercises, and group support meetings. The program was well accepted, and high compliance resulted in significant changes in the patients' diet, stress management, and exercise activity. For instance, fat intake dropped from 36% to 9% of total calories. As patients in both groups received 20 mg/day of Pravastatin, a lipid-lowering drug, lipid levels dropped significantly in both groups (30% in the intervention group and 27% in the control group). Thus, the combined effect of behavioral and drug treatment did not result in a substantial additional lipid-lowering effect. Within the intervention group significant improvement in quality of life occurred. In conclusion, the lifestyle heart program can be successfully implemented in a German rehabilitation setting which combines in-hospital and out-patient activities. However, participation in the current program is limited to highly motivated, well educated coronary patients.