Persistent Exercise Research Articles

A Case Report: Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease in a Shih Tzu

Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease (MMVD) is a degenerative condition of the mitral valve where it weakens and causes regurgitation, eventually leading to cardiac remodeling. Jason, a seven-year-old male Shih Tzu weighing 7.5 kg, was presented with a persistent cough and exercise intolerance lasting over a month. A physical examination revealed a Grade II/VI heart murmur. Radiography and echocardiography were performed as part of the laboratory examinations. Radiography demonstrated cardiac remodeling, with a VHS of 10.3 viscerocranial, an intercostal space of 3, and a VLAS of 2.3. Echocardiography unveiled left atrial enlargement, mitral valve regurgitation, and a reduction in heart function. The dog was treated with Pimobendan (Cardisure® 10mg, Dechra, England) as an inodilatator at 0.25mg, Enalapril Maleate 0.5mg/kg (Tenace® 5mg, Combiphar, Indonesia), and furosemide (Farsix® 40mg, Fahrenheit, Indonesia) at 2 mg/kg via oral route twice a day over the course of seven days. Thereafter, the dose was reduced to 1.5 mg/kg PO twice a day for seven days, and eventually once a day for the remainder of the seven days. Following the three-week treatment, there was a significant reduction in the frequency and intensity of coughing.

Hepatic kynurenic acid mediates phosphorylation of Nogo-A in the medial prefrontal cortex to regulate chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice.

Exercise training effectively relieves anxiety disorders via modulating specific brain networks. The role of post-translational modification of proteins in this process, however, has been underappreciated. Here we performed a mouse study in which chronic restraint stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors can be attenuated by 14-day persistent treadmill exercise, in association with dramatic changes of protein phosphorylation patterns in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In particular, exercise was proposed to modulate the phosphorylation of Nogo-A protein, which drives the ras homolog family member A (RhoA)/ Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinases 1(ROCK1) signaling cascade. Further mechanistic studies found that liver-derived kynurenic acid (KYNA) can affect the kynurenine metabolism within the mPFC, to modulate this RhoA/ROCK1 pathway for conferring stress resilience. In sum, we proposed that circulating KYNA might mediate stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors via protein phosphorylation modification within the mPFC, and these findings shed more insights for the liver-brain communications in responding to both stress and physical exercise.

Treadmill Exercise Reshapes Cortical Astrocytic and Neuronal Activity to Improve Motor Learning Deficits Under Chronic Alcohol Exposure

Alcohol abuse induces various neurological disorders including motor learning deficits, possibly by affecting neuronal and astrocytic activity. Physical exercise is one effective approach to remediate synaptic loss and motor deficits as shown by our previous works. In this study, we unrevealed the role of exercise training in the recovery of cortical neuronal and astrocytic functions. Using a chronic alcohol injection mouse model, we found the hyperreactivity of astrocytes along with dendritic spine loss plus lower neuronal activity in the primary motor cortex. Persistent treadmill exercise training, on the other hand, improved neural spine formation and inhibited reactive astrocytes, alleviating motor learning deficits induced by alcohol exposure. These data collectively support the potency of endurance exercise in the rehabilitation of motor functions under alcohol abuse.

Physical activity change after early rhythm control after new-onset atrial fibrillation and major adverse cardiovascular event risk

Abstract Background There is paucity of information about major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) related to physical activity change after early rhythm control (ERC) after new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the association between physical activity after ERC and clinical outcomes in new-onset AF patients. Methods This study was performed based on the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. We included adults with new-onset AF between 2009 and 2018. Patients who received national health screening examination before and after AF diagnosis within 2-year were finally included (n=161,379). Among these, 48,243 patients were received rhythm control within 2-year after AF diagnosis. Patients were categorized into 4 groups as follows: persistent non-exerciser, new exerciser (after AF diagnosis and ERC), exercise maintainer, and exercise quitter (after AF diagnosis and ERC). The primary outcome was MACE defined as the composite of ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and hospitalization for heart failure. Multivariable Cox analysis was performed. Results Among 48,243 patients receiving ERC, 63% (n=30,540) was persistent non-exerciser, 13% (n=6260) was new exerciser, 11% (n=5102) was exercise maintainer, and 13% (n=6341) was exercise quitter. After multivariable adjustment, compared to persistent non-exerciser, new exerciser and exercise maintainer with ERC showed lower risk of MACE by 10% and 19%, respectively (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.903 [0.802-0.994] for new exerciser, and 0.810 [0.725-0.906] for exercise maintainer) (Table 1). However, exercise quitter did not show significant benefit compared to persistent non-exerciser (Table 1). To assess the synergistic effect of ERC and starting or maintaining physical activity, we performed exploratory analysis including patients who did not receive ERC. Compared to persistent non-exerciser without ERC, persistent non-exerciser with ERC was associated with a significantly lower risk of MACE (0.832 [0.797-0.868], Table 2). Patients who received ERC and started or maintained physical activity with ERC showed greatest risk reduction for MACE by 27% and 36%, respectively (0.732 [0.668-0.802] for new exerciser and 0.641 [0.576-0.713] for exercise maintainer) (Table 2). Conclusion Even in context with beneficial effect of ERC in patients with new-onset AF, maintaining or starting regular physical activity after ERC might bring greater reduction on the risk of MACE. Physician should emphasize healthy lifestyle behavior with rhythm control in patients with new-onset AF.

#209 Relation between exercise pattern changes and renal outcome in new-onset diabetes: a nationwide population-based study

Abstract Background and Aims Exercise reduced risk of diabetes and obesity. However, it remains unclear whether the pattern changes of exercise are increased risk of end-stage renal disease in new-onset diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Method We assessed diabetes development in 2015 in 21,122,422 non-diabetic Koreans enrolled in Korean National Health Screening (KNHS) from 2009 to 2012 using International Classification of Diseases 10th (ICD-10) code and anti-diabetic medication prescription. Renal outcome (End-stage renal disease) was defined using V-code. The risk of ESRD evaluated in never exercise (none), after new-onset DM (post only), before new-onset DM and no exercise after new-onset DM (pre-only) and persistent exercise group (persistent group). Results During median 4.8-year follow-up, 275 (0.21%) of ESRD was occurred. After fully adjusted, the hazard ratio (HR) for ESRD was lowest in persistent exercise group 0.521 [0.302 to 0.899]. Post only exercise 0.674 [0.461 to 0.985] group showed better renal outcome compared to pre only exercise group 0.791 [0.535 to 1.169] or never exercise group [reference, 1.0]. Subgroup analysis for age, sex, history of chronic kidney disease, hypertension showed similar results. Even light exercise such as walking tended to reduce the risk of renal outcome 0.817 [0.634 to 1.037]. The higher 0.627 [0.441 to 0.892] or moderate 0.7 [0.514 to 0.953] strength of exercise type showed the lower risk of renal outcome in new-onset DM patients. Conclusion This study provides compelling evidence that exercise, particularly when maintained over time, is associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of ESRD in individuals with new-onset DM. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating regular physical activity as a crucial component of comprehensive health management strategies for individuals with diabetes, offering both clinicians and patients valuable insights for optimizing renal outcomes.

Association between physical activity changes and incident myocardial infarction after ischemic stroke: a nationwide population-based study

BackgroundThe impact of changes in physical activity after ischemic stroke (IS) on the subsequent myocardial infarction (MI) risk is not fully understood. We aimed to investigate the effects of changes in physical activity on the risk of MI after acute IS using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Services Database.Methods224,764 patients newly diagnosed with IS between 2010 and 2016 who underwent two serial biannual health checkups were included. The participants were divided into four categories according to changes in their physical activity: persistent non-exercisers, new exercisers, exercise dropouts, and exercise maintainers. The primary outcome was a new diagnosis of incident MI. Multivariable Cox proportional models were used to assess the effects of changes in exercise habits on the risk of MI.ResultsAfter a median of 4.25 years of follow-up, 6,611 (2.94%) MI cases were observed. After adjusting for confounders, new exercisers and exercise maintainers were significantly associated with a lower risk of incident MI than persistent non-exercisers (aHR, 0.849; 95% CI, 0.792–0.911; P-value < 0.001; and aHR, 0.746; 95% CI, 0.696–0.801; P-value < 0.001, respectively). Effects were consistent across sexes, more pronounced in those > 65 years. Notably, any level of physical activity after stroke was associated with a reduced MI risk compared to no exercise.ConclusionsIn this nationwide cohort study, commencing or sustaining physical activity after an IS corresponded to a diminished likelihood of subsequent MI development. Advocating physical activity in ambulatory stroke survivors could potentially attenuate the prospective risk of MI.

Impact of changes in physical activity and incident fracture after acute ischemic stroke

Stroke survivors are at an increased risk of falls and fractures. Physical activity is inversely associated with the fracture risk in the general population. However, the association between incident fracture risk and changes in habitual physical activity before and after an index stroke remains unclear. This study attempted to explore the association between incident fracture risk and changes in physical activity after stroke. Using the claims database of the National Health Insurance Program in Korea, participants with their first ischemic stroke between 2010 and 2016 were enrolled in the study. The participants were divided into four groups according to changes in physical activity habits evaluated using two consecutive self-reported questionnaires before and after stroke, if available: persistent non-exercisers, exercise dropouts, new exercisers, and persistent exercisers. The primary outcome was a composite of vertebral, hip, and other fractures. We performed multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis and provided adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for each outcome. Among 202,234 participants included from 1,005,879 datasets, 16,621 (8.22%) experienced any type of fracture as the primary outcome. After multivariable adjustment, exercise dropouts (n = 37,106), new exercisers (n = 36,821), and persistent exercisers (n = 74,647) had a significantly reduced risk of any type of fracture (aHR 0.932, 95% CI 0.893–0.973; aHR 0.938, 95% CI 0.900–0.978; aHR 0.815, 95% CI 0.780–0.852, respectively) compared to the persistent non-exercisers (n = 53,660). Furthermore, regardless of pre-stroke exercise status, those who exercised ≥ 1000 metabolic equivalents of tasks post-stroke had a significantly reduced risk of fractures. Initiating or continuing moderate-to-vigorous regular physical activity after acute ischemic stroke was associated with a significantly lower risk of incident fractures, including hip, vertebral, and other types.

Cardiopulmonary Profiling of Athletes with Post-Exertional Malaise after COVID-19 Infection-A Single-Center Experience.

(1) Background: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) has been suggested by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) for assessing the exercise limitations of apparently healthy individuals, but data on elite athletes regarding this test are scarce. (2) Methods: We analyzed CPET in elite (n = 43, 21.9 ± 3.7 years) and recreational (n = 40, 34.7 ± 13.0 years) athletes with persistent subjective exercise intolerance and post-exertional malaise (PEM) after COVID-19 infection. The primary outcome was the point prevalence of the adequate cardiopulmonary response (ACPR), defined by the presence of all of the following ESC criteria for apparently healthy individuals: (1) >100% of predicted peak oxygen consumption (predVO2peak), (2) VE/VCO2 < 30, (3) no exercise oscillatory ventilation (EOV), and (4) heart rate recovery of ≥12 beats/minute 1 min after exercise termination (HRR1). Results: ACPR occurred more frequently in elite athletes than in recreational athletes (70.0% vs. 39.5%; p = 0.005), mainly driven by the lower VE/VCO2 (<30: 97.7% vs. 65%, p < 0.001). Elite (11.6%) and recreational athletes (22.5%) showing a plateau of O2 pulse did not display ACPR. Conclusions: ACPR was not observed in all recreational and elite athletes with PEM. In particular, perturbed VE/VCO2 and the plateauing of O2 pulse are suitable for quantifying exercise limitations and may identify a high-risk population with long-COVID-19 syndrome who require their training intensities to be adapted.

40-LB: The Association between Changes in Physical Activity Before and After Thyroidectomy and Incident Type 2 Diabetes in Patients with Thyroid Cancer

Background: Thyroid cancer patients who underwent thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression therapy after thyroidectomy is increased a risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, whether the changes in physical activity (PA) before and after thyroidectomy in patients with thyroid cancer are associated with T2DM has not been evaluated yet. We investigated the association between changes in PA before and after thyroidectomy and incident T2DM in patients with thyroid cancer. Methods: An observational cohort study of 69,526 thyroid cancer patients who underwent thyroidectomy between 2010 and 2016 was performed using the Korean National Health Information Database. PA was defined as mid-term or vigorous exercise at least 1 day in a week. PA changes over time were divided into four groups: persistent non-exercisers (n = 18,441), new exercisers (n = 14,599), exercise dropouts (n = 11,023), and exercise maintainers (n = 25,463). Results: During mean 4.5 years of follow-up, the incidences per 1,000 person years of T2DM were lower in patients who performed PA before or after thyroidectomy than persistent non-exercisers (10.77 in persistent non-exerciser group, 8.28 in new exerciser group, 8.59 in exercise dropout group, and 7.61 in exercise maintainer group). Compared with the persistent non-exerciser group, the exercise dropout group (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-0.91), new exerciser group (aHR 0.87, 95% CI 0.78-0.97), and the exercise maintainer group (aHR 0.84, 95% CI 0.76-0.93) had lower risks of incident T2DM. When we stratified patients according to energy expenditure, PA with &amp;lt; 1,500 metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-min/week in exercise maintainers was associated with lower risk of incident T2DM than non-exercisers, but PA with ≥ 1,500 MET-min/week was not. Conclusion: In patients with thyroid cancer, PA before or after thyroidectomy was associated with lower risk of incident T2DM. Disclosure J. Park: None. H. Park: None. S. Kim: None. Y. Cho: None. K. Han: None. K. Kim: None.

Intrusion Detection using Machine Learning: A Random Forest-based Approach

It can be very difficult and time-consuming to pinpoint network traffic behaviours that frequently disrupt services. A researcher must check out all the massive and off-course data to discover the chain of network link interruptions. A system administrator is to be notified by an intrusion detection system (IDS) each time an intruder attempts to breach the network. Using a table of harmful signatures, an IDS that has been mishandled inhibits attacks. An alarm is triggered if a persistent exercise matches a signal on the chart. These kinds of systems are used by countless organisations and institutions worldwide. They are simple to use, let administrators tailor the sign table, and help identify the real facts of events. An Intrusion Detection System (IDS) has been developed that employs various machine intelligence techniques to automatically identify assaults on intricate networks and systems. Principal component analysis (PCA), along with several classification algorithms including Support Vector Machines, Random Forest, and K-Nearest Neighbor, is used in an effort to increase the capabilities of IDS. Attack detection is the principal function of an intrusion detection system. Nonetheless, identifying intrusions as soon as possible will help to lessen their damage.

Increased Dead Space Ventilation as a Contributing Factor to Persistent Exercise Limitation in Patients with a Left Ventricular Assist Device.

(1) Background: The exercise capacity of patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) remains limited despite mechanical support. Higher dead space ventilation (VD/VT) may be a surrogate for right ventricular to pulmonary artery uncoupling (RV-PA) during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to explain persistent exercise limitations. (2) Methods: We investigated 197 patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction with (n = 89) and without (HFrEF, n = 108) LVAD. As a primary outcome NTproBNP, CPET, and echocardiographic variables were analyzed for their potential to discriminate between HFrEF and LVAD. As a secondary outcome CPET variables were evaluated for a composite of hospitalization due to worsening heart failure and overall mortality over 22 months. (3) Results: NTproBNP (OR 0.6315, 0.5037-0.7647) and RV function (OR 0.45, 0.34-0.56) discriminated between LVAD and HFrEF. The rise of endtidal CO2 (OR 4.25, 1.31-15.81) and VD/VT (OR 1.23, 1.10-1.40) were higher in LVAD patients. Group (OR 2.01, 1.07-3.85), VE/VCO2 (OR 1.04, 1.00-1.08), and ventilatory power (OR 0.74, 0.55-0.98) were best associated with rehospitalization and mortality. (4) Conclusions: LVAD patients displayed higher VD/VT compared to HFrEF. Higher VD/VT as a surrogate for RV-PA uncoupling could be another marker of persistent exercise limitations in LVAD patients.

The diagnostic utility of inspiratory-expiratory radiography for the assessment of phrenic nerve palsy associated with brachial plexus injury.

The phrenic nerve is commonly injured with trauma to the brachial plexus. Hemi-diaphragmatic paralysis may be well-compensated in healthy individuals at rest but can be associated with persistent exercise intolerance in some patients. This study aims to determine the diagnostic value of inspiratory-expiratory chest radiography compared to intraoperative stimulation of the phrenic nerve for assessing phrenic nerve injury associated with brachial plexus injury. Over a 21-year period, the diagnostic utility of three-view inspiratory-expiratory chest radiography for identification of phrenic nerve injury was determined by comparison to intraoperative phrenic nerve stimulation. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of phrenic nerve injury and having an incorrect radiographic diagnosis. A total of 237 patients with inspiratory-expiratory chest radiography underwent intraoperative testing of phrenic nerve function. Phrenic nerve injury was present in approximately one-fourth of cases. Preoperative chest radiography had a sensitivity of 56%, specificity of 93%, positive predictive negative of 75%, and negative predictive value of 86% for identification of a phrenic nerve palsy. Only C5 avulsion was found to be a predictor of having an incorrect diagnosis of phrenic nerve injury on radiography. While inspiratory-expiratory chest radiography has good specificity for detecting phrenic nerve injuries, a high number of false negatives suggest that it should not be relied upon for routine screening of dysfunction after traumatic brachial plexus injury. This is likely multifactorial and relates to variation in diaphragm shape and position, as well as limitations regarding static image interpretation of a dynamic process.

Association between exercise habit changes and incident dementia after ischemic stroke

We aimed to investigate the effects of exercise habit changes on the risk of incident dementia after ischemic stroke using the Korean National Health Insurance Services Database. This study included 223,426 patients with a new diagnosis of ischemic stroke between 2010 and 2016 who underwent two serial ambulatory health checkups. The participants were divided into four categories according to their habit change or regular exercise: persistent non-exercisers, new exercisers, exercise dropouts, and exercise maintainers. The primary outcome was new diagnosis of dementia. Multivariate Cox proportional models were used to assess the effects of changes in exercise habits on the risk of incident dementia. After a median of 4.02 years of follow-up, 22,554 (10.09%) dementia cases were observed. After adjusting for covariates, exercise dropouts, new exercisers, and exercise maintainers were significantly associated with a lower risk of incident dementia than persistent non-exercisers (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.937; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.905–0.970, aHR 0.876; 95% CI 0.843–0.909, aHR 0.705; 95% CI 0.677–0.734, respectively). The impact of changes in exercise habit was more prominent in the 40–65 years age group. An energy expenditure ≥ 1000 metabolic equivalents of task-min/wk post-stroke, regardless of pre-stroke physical activity status, was mostly associated with a lower risk of each outcome. In this retrospective cohort study, initiating or continuing moderate-to-vigorous exercise after ischemic stroke was associated with a lower risk of dementia development. Further, pre-stroke regular physical activity also reduced the risk of incident dementia. The promotion of exercise in ambulatory stroke patients may reduce their future risk of incident dementia.

Left atrial longitudinal strain analysis in long Covid-19 syndrome

It is known that during the active course of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), myocardial injury has an established pathological base, while its myocardial injury post-recovery is still obscured.The aim of this study was to evaluate the longitudinal left atrial strain (LAS) using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in COVID-19-recovered patients who are previously healthy without confounder comorbidities to detect the potential cardiac dysfunction.200 patients were prospectively included and examined 4?12 weeks after recovery from COVID-19 infection. 137 participants with comorbidities or previous history of cardiopulmonary disease were excluded from the analysis. A total of 63 patients who fulfilled our inclusion criteria were recruited into two groups according to thepresence or absence of persistent dyspnoea and exercise intolerance. Clinical, laboratory & comprehensive echocardiographic examinations were done for all. We observed that 31.7% of the previously healthy individuals developed dyspnoea & exercise intolerance post-COVID-19 infection. There were significantly impaired LAS parameters in the symptomatic group (LA reservoir, contraction & conduit strain, 22.7%, -6.6% & -16.1% versus 40%, -12%, and ? 27% in the asymptomatic group with P < 0.000). Only LA reservoir strain and LA stiffness can independently predict the development of dyspnoea & exercise intolerance post-COVID-19 at cut-off values of 30% & 24.5% respectively with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 91%, P < 0.001. These impaired LAS parameters could explain the developed symptoms post-COVID-19 recovery, even before disturbed conventional diastolic echocardiographic parameters.LAS parameters are significantly associated with the developed exertional dyspnoea & exercise intolerance post-COVID-19. LA reservoir strain & LA stiffness could provide a simple, easily available tool that points to early LV diastolic dysfunction and may direct the therapy in this subset of the population.

Long-term reduced functional capacity and quality of life in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Persistent symptoms and exercise intolerance have been reported after COVID-19, even months after the acute disease. Although, the long-term impact on exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is still unclear. To assess the long-term functional capacity and HRQoL in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. This is a prospective cohort study, conducted at two centers in Brazil, that included post-discharge COVID-19 patients and paired controls. The cohort was paired by age, sex, body mass index and comorbidities, using propensity score matching in a 1:3 ratio. Patients were eligible if signs or symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and pulmonary involvement on chest computed tomography. All patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and a HRQoL questionnaire (SF-36) 6 months after the COVID-19. The main outcome was the percentage of predicted peak oxygen consumption (ppVO2). Secondary outcomes included other CPET measures and HRQoL. The study sample comprised 47 post-discharge COVID-19 patients and 141 healthy controls. The mean age of COVID-19 patients was 54 ± 14 years, with 19 (40%) females, and a mean body mass index of 31 kg/m2 (SD, 6). The median follow-up was 7 months (IQR, 6.5-8.0) after hospital discharge. PpVO2 in COVID-19 patients was lower than in controls (83% vs. 95%, p = 0.002) with an effect size of 0.38 ([95%CI], 0.04-0.70). Mean peak VO2 (22 vs. 25 mL/kg/min, p = 0.04) and OUES (2,122 vs. 2,380, p = 0.027) were also reduced in the COVID-19 patients in comparison to controls. Dysfunctional breathing (DB) was present in 51%. HRQoL was significantly reduced in post COVID patients and positively correlated to peak exercise capacity. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients presented, 7 months after discharge, with a reduction in functional capacity and HRQoL when compared to historical controls. HRQoL were reduced and correlated with the reduced peak VO2 in our population.

Relationship between exercise capacity and impulse oscillometry parameters after COVID-19 infections.

After COVID-19 infection, persistent exercise intolerance, changes in lung function have been shown. Our aim is to investigate the correlation between impulse oscillometry (IOS) parameters and exercise capacity by using incremental and endurance shuttle walk tests (ISWT, ESWT) and investigate the factors and parameters which might have an effect on both IOS parameters and exercise capacity tests. The patients who had a history of COVID-19 were enrolled into cross-sectional study according to inclusion criteria. The IOS parameters, ISWT, ESWT, smoking status, time since COVID-19 diagnosis, length of hospital stay, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), body mass index (BMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), dyspnea, hospital anxiety-depression and fatigue severity scores were recorded. The study comprised 72patients, 71% of whom were male, with amean age of 54 ± 10years. After COVID-19 diagnosis, the median duration was 3 (min:1, max:5) months and 51(71%) of the patients were hospitalized. The FEV1 and FVC values were in normal range. The area of reactance (AX), resonance frequency (Fres), reactance at 20 Hz (X20) and the difference between resonance at 20and 5 Hz (R5-20) correlated with both ISWT and ESWT. The FEV1 correlated with all IOS parameters (p < 0.05). Reactance correlated with FFMI (p = 024, r = 0.267), different according to hospitalization (p = 0.02). In COVID-19 survivors, there could be correlations between IOS parameters and exercise capacity; and between these parameters and FEV and FVC. Furthermore, small airway disease with normal spirometric functions could be related to decreased exercise capacity in COVID-19 survivors regardless of concomitant diseases, BMI, smoking status and time since COVID-19 diagnosis.

Factors of Persistent Limited Exercise Tolerance in Patients after COVID-19 with Normal Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.

Exercise intolerance de novo is one of the most common reported symptoms in patients recovering from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The present study determines etiological and pathophysiological factors influencing the mechanism of impaired exercise tolerance in patients during Long-COVID. Consequently, the factors affecting the percentage predicted oxygen uptake at peak exercise (%VO2pred) in patients after COVID-19 with a normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were assessment. A total of 120 patients recovering from COVID-19 at three to six months after confirmed diagnosis were included. The clinical examinations, laboratory test results, echocardiography, non-invasive body mass analysis, and spiroergometry were evaluated. The subjects were divided into the following groups: study patients' group with worsen oxygen uptake (%VO2pred &lt; 80%; n = 47) and control group presenting%VO2pred ≥ 80% (n = 73). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04828629. The male gender and the percent of total body water content (TBW%) were significantly higher in the study group compared to the control group (53 vs. 29%, p = 0.007 and 52.67 (±6.41) vs. 49.89 (±4.59), p = 0.02; respectively). Patients with %VO2pred &lt; 80% presented significantly lower global peak systolic strain (GLPS), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and late diastolic filling (A) velocity (19.34 (±1.72)% vs. 20.10 (±1.35)%, p = 0.03; 21.86 (±4.53) vs. 24.08 (±3.20) mm, p = 0.002 and median 59.5 (IQR: 50.0-71.0) vs. 70.5 (IQR: 62.0-80.0) cm/s, p = 0.004; respectively) compared to the controls. The results of the multiple logistic regression model show that (A) velocity (OR 0.40, 95%CI: 0.17-0.95; p = 0.03) and male gender (OR 2.52, 95%CI: 1.07-5.91; p = 0.03) were independently associated with %VO2pred. Conclusions: Men have over twice the risk of persistent limited exercise tolerance in Long-COVID than women. The decreased (A) velocity, TAPSE, GLPS, and hydration status are connected with limited exercise tolerance after COVID-19 in patients with normal LVEF.

Physical Activity Changes and the Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Nationwide Longitudinal Follow-up Cohort Study of 1.8 Million Subjects.

We investigated the association between alterations in regular physical activity (PA) and the risk of developing AF in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the optimal PA range based on energy expenditure. In a nationwide database, subjects who underwent health examinations twice at a 2-year interval between 2009 and 2012 were studied. After 1,815,330 patients with T2DM who did not have a history of AF were identified, they were followed until 2018. Regular PA alterations over time were used to divide individuals into four groups: persistent nonexercisers (n = 1,181,837), new exercisers (n = 242,968), exercise dropouts (n = 225,124), and exercise maintainers (n = 165,401). During a mean follow-up period of 5.6 ± 1.3 years, 46,589 cases (2.6%) of new-onset AF occurred. Compared with the persistent nonexerciser group, both the exercise dropout group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99) and new exerciser group (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.93-0.98) had lower risks of incident AF. The exercise maintainer group showed the lowest risk (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.89-0.94). When we stratified patients with T2DM according to energy expenditure, undergoing regular PA with ≥1,500 MET-min/week in new exercisers and ≥1,000 MET-min/week in exercise maintainers was associated with lower risks of incident AF than nonexercisers. In patients with T2DM, starting and maintaining regular PA were both associated with lower risk of incident AF. Optimal PA ranges based on energy expenditure, which were associated with lower risks of incident AF, can be defined.

Factors of persistent limited exercise tolerance in patients after COVID-19 with normal left ventricular ejection fraction

Abstract Background Exercise intolerance de novo is one of the most common reported symptoms in patients (pts) recovering from COVID-19. Purpose The present study determines etiological and pathophysiological factors influencing the mechanism of exercise intolerance in the COVID-19 survivors. Therefore, the factors affecting percent predicted oxygen uptake at peak exercise VO2 (%VO2pred) in pts after COVID-19 with normal left ventricular ejection fraction were assessed. Methods and results The 120 consecutive patients from the Department of Cardiology recovering from COVID-19 at three to six months after confirmed diagnosis were included. The clinical examinations, laboratory test results, echocardiography using Vivid E95 – GE Healthcare, non-invasive body mass analysis using Body Composition Analyzer (Tanita Pro), and spiroergometry using The MetaSoft® Studio application were analysed. The subjects were divided into the two following groups: study i.e. pts with worse oxygen uptake (%VO2pred &amp;lt;80%; N=47) and control including these cases with %VO2pred ≥80% (N=73) – Table 1. Pts with %VO2pred &amp;lt;80% presented significantly lower global peak systolic strain (GLPS) [p=0.03], tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) [p=0.002] and late diastolic filling velocity (A) [p=0.004] compared to controls – Figure 1. The male gender (p=0.007) and the percent of total body water content (TBW %) (p=0.02) were significantly higher in study in comparison to the control group. The results of multiple logistic regression model independently associated with %VO2pred were as follows: A (OR 0.4, 95% CI: 0.17–0.95; p=0.03) and gender (OR 2.52, 95% CI: 1.07–5.91; p=0.03). Conclusions Males have over twice risk of persistent limited exercise tolerance after COVID-19 infection than females. The lower late diastolic filling velocity, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, worse global peak systolic strain, and hydration status are connected with limited exercise tolerance after COVID-19 in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation in individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease according to inhaled therapy: The Maugeri study

Background and aimReal-life studies report discordant prescribing of inhaled triple therapy (TT) among individuals with COPD. Guidelines recommend pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for persistent breathlessness and/or exercise limitation. This real-life study aimed to assess the effects of in-patient PR in individuals under TT as compared to other inhaled therapies (no TT). MethodsMulticentric, retrospective analysis of data from individuals admitted to in-hospital PR. Baseline characteristics were recorded and lung function was assessed. Outcome measures were: 6-min walking test (6MWT: primary outcome), Medical Research Council (MRC) scale for dyspnoea, and COPD assessment test (CAT). ResultsData of pre and post program 6MWT of 1139 individuals were available. Pulmonary rehabilitation resulted in significant improvement in 6MWT in both groups, however, the effect size (by 54.3 ± 69.7 vs 42.5 ± 64.2 m, p = 0.004) and proportion of individuals reaching the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of 6MWT (64.2%, vs 54.3%, p = 0.001) were higher in TT group. Both groups significantly improved also the other outcome measures. The significant independent predictors of reaching the MCID of 6MWT were hospital provenience, TT use, and high eosinophils count. ConclusionPulmonary rehabilitation results in significant benefits in individuals with COPD irrespective of the use of TT. However, individuals under TT report larger benefits in exercise tolerance than those under no TT.