Significant Differences In Activity Levels Research Articles

Two-Year Functional Outcomes of Nonsurgical Treatment in Concomitant Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries: A Case-Control Study.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a common knee injury in high-intensity sports, which can cause early career loss in young athletes. Concomitant damage to other knee stabilizers may occur, such as the medial collateral ligament (MCL). Recent studies have shown that knee stability can increase without surgical intervention in patients with ACL and MCL injuries. Regarding the importance of functional tests in return to exercise prediction, this study aims to measure nonsurgical approach's long-term outcome for concomitant ACL and MCL injuries with a focus on functional tests. This is a case-control study with a 2-year follow-up. The case group consisted of patients who had provided written consent and completed their 2-year follow-up, and the control group was made up of healthy people who did not have any knee medical conditions and were matched by age, gender, and activity level. Physical examinations, Tegner and International Knee Documentation Committee questionnaires, and knee magnetic resonance imaging were conducted, and functional performance tests were performed after a 10-minute warm-up. Lody's index (the ratio of injured-to-uninjured knee results) was calculated. The data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, chi-squared test, and Fisher's exact test. The study involved 11 patients in each concomitant ACL and MCL injury cases and healthy control groups with a mean age of 32.4 and 28 years, respectively. None of the patients reported knee instability symptoms in the 2-year follow-up. More than half of the patients continued their sports field without reinjury, with no significant difference in activity levels between case and control groups. The 6-meter hop test and single-leg hop test showed no significant difference between case and control groups (p-value: 0.326, 0.859), and no significant difference was observed in the three Carioca, cocontraction, and Shuttle tests in the 2-year follow-up. Functional tests in ACL and MCL injuries revealed normal outcomes, implying a nonsurgical approach for patients with proximal ACL tears, better knee stability, and no significant differences between the injured and control groups.

Use of a wearable patch sensor for continuous activity and posture tracking to assess risk of early infection after transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Abstract Background Early infections after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) represent one of the most common risk factors for non-cardiac 30-day mortality. Several wearable devices have been developed to measure vital signs and physical activity in real time while allowing full mobilization of the patient. However, their use has not been evaluated in a clinical setting with patients undergoing TAVR yet. Purpose We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of wearable patch sensors in assessing vital signs and daily activity before and after TAVR to predict an increased risk of early infections following TAVR. Methods Patients at high risk for infection undergoing transfemoral TAVR under local anesthesia were enrolled between September 2022 and January 2023. Postprocedural early infections were assessed, defined as C-reactive protein rise within 5 days after the procedure inducing antibiotic treatment. Vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, single-lead ECG) and activity (steps, posture) were monitored by a wearable patch sensor two days before (pre-TAVR) and two days after TAVR (post-TAVR). Results 54 patients completed 5 days of in-hospital monitoring with wearable patch sensors. The mean age was 80.3+5.2 years, 31 patients (57.4%) were male. Early infections occurred in 8 of 54 (14.8%) high-risk patients, of whom one was a urinary tract, one a pulmonary, and two access site-related etiology. Four infections remained with unknown focus. Respiratory rate was generally higher in patients developing an early infection after TAVR in both time periods, before (early infection 22±3 vs. no infection 18±2 bpm; p=0.001) and after TAVR (early infection 24±3 vs. no infection 19±3 bpm; p<0.001). Early infections were more prevalent in patients who showed less activity in the two days before TAVR regarding lower step count (early infection 242±360 vs. no infection 515±566; p=0.048) and high percentage of lying position during the whole day (early infection 89±12% vs. no infection 64±23%; p=0.071). Two days after TAVR, there were no significant differences in activity levels between both cohorts. Physical activity was reduced in both groups compared to the two days before TAVR, resulting in a reduced number of steps (pre-TAVR 473±546 vs. post-TAVR 267±434; p=0.039) and more daytime spent in lying position (pre-TAVR 57±19% vs. post-TAVR 73±24%; p<0.0001). Conclusion Wearable patch sensors are feasible to track vital signs and physical activity during hospital stay with promising opportunity for improving clinical management in TAVR patients. Early infections after TAVR are associated with decreased preprocedural mobility in high-risk patients. Therefore, these patients may be prematurely detected using wireless respiratory rate monitoring and infections prevented by intensified physiotherapy.

Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction is superior to active rehabilitation in protecting against further patella dislocations

PurposeIsolated reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL-R) has become the predominant stabilizing procedure in the treatment of recurrent lateral patellar dislocation (LPD). To minimize the risk of re-dislocations, isolated MPFL-R is recommended in patients with no significant trochlea dysplasia and tibial tuberosity trochlear groove distance < 20 mm on computed tomography (CT). Incidentally, these criteria are the same that are used to identify first time LPD patients where conservative treatment is recommended. The purpose of this study was therefore to compare MPFL-R with active rehabilitation for patients with recurrent LPD (RLPD) in absence of the above mentioned underlying anatomical high-risk factors for further patellar dislocations.MethodsRLPD-patients aged 12–30 without underlying anatomical high-risk factors for further LPD were randomized into treatment either with isolated MPFL-R or active rehabilitation provided and instructed by a physiotherapist. All patients underwent diagnostic arthroscopy for concomitant problems. The main outcome measure was persistent patellar instability at 12 months. Knee function at baseline and 12 months was asses using the following patient reported outcomes measures (PROMS); KOOS, Kujala, Cincinnati knee rating, Lysholm score and Noyes sports activity rating scale.ResultsBetween 2010 and 2019, 61 patients were included in the study (MPFL-R, N = 30, Controls, N = 31). Persistent patellar instability at 12 months was reported by 13 (41.9%) controls, versus 2 (6.7%) in the MPFL-group (RR 6.3 (95% CI 1.5–25.5). No statistically significant differences in activity level were found between the MPFL-group and the Controls at neither baseline nor follow up. The patients with persistent instability at 12 months did not score significantly lower on any of the PROMs compared to their stable peers, regardless of study group.ConclusionPatients with recurrent patellar dislocations have a six-fold increased risk of persistent patellar instability if treated with active rehabilitation alone, compared to MPFL-R in combination with active rehabilitation, even in the absence of significant anatomical risk factors. Active rehabilitation of the knee without MPFL-R improves patient reported knee function after one year, but does not protect against persistent patellar instability.Level of evidence1.

Variation and Variability in Drosophila Grooming Behavior.

Behavioral differences can be observed between species or populations (variation) or between individuals in a genetically similar population (variability). Here, we investigate genetic differences as a possible source of variation and variability in Drosophila grooming. Grooming confers survival and social benefits. Grooming features of five Drosophila species exposed to a dust irritant were analyzed. Aspects of grooming behavior, such as anterior to posterior progression, were conserved between and within species. However, significant differences in activity levels, proportion of time spent in different cleaning movements, and grooming syntax were identified between species. All species tested showed individual variability in the order and duration of action sequences. Genetic diversity was not found to correlate with grooming variability within a species: melanogaster flies bred to increase or decrease genetic heterogeneity exhibited similar variability in grooming syntax. Individual flies observed on consecutive days also showed grooming sequence variability. Standardization of sensory input using optogenetics reduced but did not eliminate this variability. In aggregate, these data suggest that sequence variability may be a conserved feature of grooming behavior itself. These results also demonstrate that large genetic differences result in distinguishable grooming phenotypes (variation), but that genetic heterogeneity within a population does not necessarily correspond to an increase in the range of grooming behavior (variability).

Phospholipase A2 group XV activity during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery

ObjectivesAll patients who undergo cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) experience some degree of ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). Severe IRI-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in approximately 1–2% of patients undergoing CPB. Previous studies using activity-based protein profiling of urine identified group XV phospholipase A2, PLA2G15/LPLA2, as potentially associated with patients who develop AKI post CPB. The present study examined urinary PLA2G15/LPLA2 activity during CPB and in the near postoperative period for associations with subsequent AKI development. Design & methodsSamples were collected in a nested case controlled cohort of 21 patients per group who either did (AKI) or did not (non-AKI) develop AKI post-operatively. Serum and urine samples from each patient before, during and after CPB were assayed for PLA2G15/LPLA2 activity. ResultsUrine activity significantly increased during the intra operative period. In contrast the activities in paired sera were markedly decreased during CPB. There was no correlation between the serum and urine activity levels of patients. There were no significant differences in activity levels of PLA2G15/LPLA2 in the urine or sera from patients that did and did not develop AKI. ConclusionsThe lack of correlation between serum and urine activity levels suggests that the rapid intraoperative increases in PLA2G15/LPLA2 activity may originate from the kidney and as such offer an intraoperative indicator of early renal response to CPB associated stressors.

Preoperative psychological status of children with hypospadias and their families

Objective To explore the preoperative psychological status of children with hypospadias and their families, and to provide theoretical guidance for clinical nursing during the treatment of hypospadias. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted on children with hypospadias and their family members 1 day before surgery to understand the psychological behaviors of the children and their family members' attitudes and attitude towards the disease. Results Parents with different educational levels, occupations, whether children were only children, ranking at home, and whether they follow their parents for a long time will make their families have different attitudes toward the disease.Family members of children with hypospadias have prominent problems in somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, depression and terror (P<0.001). Compared with the Chinese norm, children with hypospadias showed statistically significant differences in activity level, attention to time limit and persistence, rhythm, attention to dispersion, response threshold, response intensity and avoidance(P<0.05). Children with hypospadias had prominent problems in depression factors, hyperkinetic factors, aggressive factors, social withdrawal factors, and poor communication factors, and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). Conclusions Hypospadias can have a significant negative impact on the psychology and behavior of children and their families.In the surgical treatment of hypospadias, medical staff should pay attention to the psychological and behavioral effects of hypospadias on children and their families.Psychological intervention can improve the treatment satisfaction of children and their families. Key words: Child; Hypospadias; Psychology

Anti-stress effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of Rosa gallica officinalis in mice

Rosa gallica, a plant of the Rosa genus, has been used widely since the 13th century and is cultivated in many areas as a medicinal plant for the preparation of herbal medicines. However, details of the neuropsychological effects of R. gallica remain unclear; therefore we aimed to investigate the neuropsychological effects of a water-soluble extract of R. gallica in male C57BL/6N mice under normal conditions and under chronic stress. We administered a water-soluble extract of R. gallica to mice and performed a series of behavioral experiments to compare the treated animals with the untreated controls. No significant differences in activity level, anxiety-like behavior, depression-like behavior, body weight, and body temperature were observed between R. gallica-treated mice and control mice. However, in mice subjected to chronic stress, the observed decrease in activity was smaller in the R. gallica-treated mice than in the control mice. The oral administration of R. gallica did not affect the normal behavior of mice. However, when the mice were subjected to stress, R. gallica exerted an anti-stress effect. Therefore, R. gallica has potential as a medicinal plant for the purpose of stress prevention.

Improved raw starch amylase production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae using codon optimisation strategies.

Amylases are used in a variety of industries that have a specific need for alternative enzymes capable of hydrolysing raw starch. Five α-amylase and five glucoamylase-encoding genes were expressed in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y294 laboratory strain to select for recombinant strains that best hydrolysed raw corn starch. Gene variants of four amylases were designed using codon optimisation and different secretion signals. The significant difference in activity levels among the gene variants confirms that codon optimisation of fungal genes for expression in S. cerevisiae does not guarantee improved recombinant protein production. The codon-optimised glucoamylase variant from Talaromyces emersonii (temG_Opt) yielded 3.3-fold higher extracellular activity relative to the native temG, whereas the codon-optimised T. emersonii α-amylase (temA_Opt) yielded 1.6-fold more extracellular activity than the native temA. The effect of four terminator sequences was also investigated using temG and temG_Opt as reporter genes, with the ALY2T terminator resulting in a 14% increase in glucoamylase activity relative to the gene cassettes containing the ENO1T terminator. This is the first report of engineered S. cerevisiae strains to express T. emersonii amylase variants, and these enzymes may have potential applications in the industrial conversion of raw starch under fermentation conditions.

Anatomical reconstruction produced similarly favorable outcomes as repair procedures for the treatment of chronic lateral ankle instability at long-term follow-up.

The aim of this study was to compare long-term outcomes after anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) repair and reconstruction at 5-10years after surgery. Forty-five patients who underwent surgical repair or reconstruction of both ATFL and CFL were retrospectively investigated in this study. American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), Karlsson Score, and Tegner activity scale were used to evaluate the ankle function at a follow-up of 5-10years. Ultrasound examination was used to evaluate the ATFL and CFL, and MRI was used to evaluate the cartilage. At final follow-up, no patient had recurrent ankle instability. There were no significant differences in AOFAS (92.6 ± 6.5 vs 89.6 ± 3.4; n.s.) or Karlsson Score (93 ± 8.2 vs 90.6 ± 5.0; n.s.) between the reconstruction group (twenty patients) and the repair group (twenty-five patients) postoperatively. There were also no significant differences in activity level as measured by the Tegner activity score (6 (range 4 to 8) vs 6 (range 5 to 7); n.s.). Five patients in the reconstruction group complained of some tightness of the ankles. Ultrasound showed the reconstructed ligaments maintained good continuity and were thicker than the repaired ligaments. Patients in both the repair and the reconstruction cohort had high patient satisfaction with the outcomes and high function and activity levels that indicated recreational sports participation over a long period. III.

What Do We Know about Physical Activity in Alaska Children: Results from Wearable Technology: SQORD Boosters

In this analysis, I use an accelerometer called SQORD to measure levels and patterns of physical activity in Alaska children. Specifically, I focus my attention on 23 elementary schools in the Anchorage School District where students between 3rd and 6th grade were provided the device. I find that activity levels are at their highest from 11am to 12pm. On average, students are not engaging in enough after school activities as the points are lower in the evenings. I also find differences between genders which seem to occur during the school day between 11am and 3 pm. Additionally, I find significant differences in activity levels between weekdays and weekends, with students earning around 10,000 points more during a weekday than a weekend. Finally, I estimate a panel regression model examining the determinants of average hourly and daily physical activity in which I control for individual characteristics, school demographics, percent of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, school size, and week fixed effects. After accounting for these characteristics, I find that an additional year of age is associated with 156 less points per hour. From the school characteristic standpoint, the size of the school and the percent of students on enrolled in the free or reduced lunch are both inversely associated with average points earned.

Does Total Knee Arthroplasty Affect Physical Activity Levels? Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is associated with improved patient-reported pain levels, function, and quality of life; however, it is poorly understood whether there is increased physical activity following TKA. Using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), we compare physical activity, as measured using an accelerometer, and patient-reported outcome measures of 60 patients who had already received a TKA with 63 patients who eventually received a TKA during the OAI study. There was no significant difference in activity levels between the two groups as measured by the accelerometer. Total WOMAC, KOOS Quality of Life, KOOS Knee Pain, and KOOS Function scores improved in the post-TKA compared to the pre-TKA group. In both pre-TKA and post-TKA groups, physical activity guidelines were met in only 5% or less.

How are falls and fear of falling associated with objectively measured physical activity in a cohort of community-dwelling older men?

BackgroundFalls affect approximately one third of community-dwelling older adults each year and have serious health and social consequences. Fear of falling (FOF) (lack of confidence in maintaining balance during normal activities) affects many older adults, irrespective of whether they have actually experienced falls. Both falls and fear of falls may result in restrictions of physical activity, which in turn have health consequences. To date the relation between (i) falls and (ii) fear of falling with physical activity have not been investigated using objectively measured activity data which permits examination of different intensities of activity and sedentary behaviour.MethodsCross-sectional study of 1680 men aged 71–92 years recruited from primary care practices who were part of an on-going population-based cohort. Men reported falls history in previous 12 months, FOF, health status and demographic characteristics. Men wore a GT3x accelerometer over the hip for 7 days.ResultsAmong the 12% of men who had recurrent falls, daily activity levels were lower than among non-fallers; 942 (95% CI 503, 1381) fewer steps/day, 12(95% CI 2, 22) minutes less in light activity, 10(95% CI 5, 15) minutes less in moderate to vigorous PA [MVPA] and 22(95% CI 9, 35) minutes more in sedentary behaviour. 16% (n = 254) of men reported FOF, of whom 52% (n = 133) had fallen in the past year. Physical activity deficits were even greater in the men who reported that they were fearful of falling than in men who had fallen. Men who were fearful of falling took 1766(95% CI 1391, 2142) fewer steps/day than men who were not fearful, and spent 27(95% CI 18, 36) minutes less in light PA, 18(95% CI 13, 22) minutes less in MVPA, and 45(95% CI 34, 56) minutes more in sedentary behaviour. The significant differences in activity levels between (i) fallers and non-fallers and (ii) men who were fearful of falling or not fearful, were mediated by similar variables; lower exercise self-efficacy, fewer excursions from home and more mobility difficulties.ConclusionsFalls and in particular fear of falling are important barriers to older people gaining health benefits of walking and MVPA. Future studies should assess the longitudinal associations between falls and physical activity.

Physical activity in high school during ‘free-time’ periods

The purpose of this study was to examine youth physical activity (PA) in free-time periods during high school days and their contribution to total PA. Differences in terms of sex, age, body mass index and school level were assessed in a sample of Portuguese adolescents. Participants totalled 213 (135 girls), aged 14.6±1.7, from two different Portuguese schools, 69 attending an urban school and 144 attending a rural school. Activity levels of five free-time periods were assessed with an accelerometry-based activity monitor (ActiGraph). The results indicated that boys had significantly higher levels of PA (counts min−1) than girls for two of the five periods (afternoon recess and after-school time). Activity levels were higher among younger students during three periods (before school, morning recess and afternoon recess). Significant differences in activity levels ( p &lt; 0.001) between the two schools were also found. Despite being older the rural students were more active than urban. In conclusion, free-time periods in high school are a relevant context for PA promotion. In this study they contributed significantly for total daily PA in both sexes, with 37.7–42.7% for girls and 40.1–42.1% for boys.

Effect of age on response to palliative radiotherapy and quality of life in patients with painful bone metastases

BackgroundMultimorbidity and declining performance in elderly cancer patients may result in less treatment benefit. We investigated whether age is a predictor for pain response and quality of life (QoL) after radiotherapy in patients with painful bone metastases. MethodsThe database of the Dutch Bone Metastasis Study was used (1996–1999). 1157 patients, irradiated for painful bone metastases, rated their pain, QoL-domains and overall health at baseline and during follow-up. Response was calculated taking into account changes in pain score and medication. Patients were grouped into three age cohorts: A: <65 (n=520), B: 65–74 (n=410) and C: ⩾75years (n=227). ResultsNo significant difference existed in pain response between cohorts: 78% in cohort A, 74% in B and 67% in C. When assessing baseline QoL, a significant difference in activity level was noticed, with more impairment in elderly compared to younger patients (C versus B (p=0.01), C versus A (p<0.001)). Other QoL-domains were similar at baseline and during follow-up among cohorts. A pain response was significantly associated with improvement of health-related QoL (OR 3.74, 95% CI 2.66–5.25). ConclusionThe majority of elderly patients with painful bone metastases responded to radiotherapy and showed comparable overall QoL compared to their younger counterparts. Age is not a predictor for pain response or QoL.

An institutional analysis of EPD programs and a global PCR registry

A Product Category Rules (PCR) document specifies the quantification method and communication format of environmental impacts of a product category. To ensure neutrality and credibility of quantitative environmental information, the development of PCR documents is defined in ISO 14025. Hence, the rules are preconditions for comparative considerations and modular application of information entities and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). However, with the growing number of EPD programs, the producers, purchasers, and consumers feel increasingly alienated in relation to the validity and legitimacy of the environmental information presented by EPDs. This results in a need for enhanced transparency of PCR development and EPD program compatibility. This article offers navigational assistance in this respect. To identify harmonization potential, we compare PCR development regarding two aspects: quantitatively by mapping existing PCR and EPD documents, and qualitatively by comparing existing institutional structures with normative guidance. Information was gathered through an internet search and through direct correspondence with program operators. We identified 27 programs, 556 PCR documents, and 3614 EPD declarations (May 2013). There were significant differences in activity level between programs and sectors. Furthermore, the institutional structures differ widely from each other and from normative guidance on PCR development. This first global PCR register guides practitioners in the search for PCR documents. The analysis of program institutional structures for PCR development and EPD verification indicates the involvement of different stakeholders on Type III environmental declarations. Regarding PCR compatibility and newly released guidance documents from the European Commission and the PCR Guidance Development Initiative, we recommend that operators (1) settle on a common (sector) categorization system, (2) implement a Stakeholder Identification Worksheet, (3) consider the mandatory involvement of consumer and environmental interests in the PCR review panel, (4) require PCR reviewers to declare potential conflicts of interest, and (5) consider installing mandatory third party verification of declarations for any external use.

Exercise and Teen Smoking

Increasing physical activity may help teens reduce or quit smoking, according to a study funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers randomized 233 teens from 19 West Virginia high schools to receive a brief smoking cessation intervention, the Not-On-Tobacco (N-O-T) teen cessation program, or N-O-T plus a physical activity intervention. The researchers previously published results from the study that suggested those in the N-O-T plus physical activity group were more likely to quit smoking. But the new results suggest that teens in all groups who increased their physical activity levels were more likely than those who did not increase their activity levels to reduce or quit smoking. In fact, all 3 groups of teens increased their physical activity, and there was no significant difference in activity levels between groups.

Differences in Occupational, Transportation, Domestic, and Leisure-Time Physical Activities: Do Geographical Location and Socio-Cultural Status Matter?

Researchers have recently expressed their concern for the health of Francophones and rural dwellers in Canada. Their levels of physical activity may explain part of the observed differences. However, little is known about the physical activity levels of these 2 groups. The purpose of this study was to assess levels of physical activity among a sample of Francophones and rural dwellers. The study also assessed the associations of various types of physical activity to measures of health status. A quota-based convenience sample of 256 adults from Northern Ontario was surveyed using the IPAQ and the SF-12. There were no significant differences in activity levels between language groups (P = .06) or geographical groups (P = .22) on the combined dependent variables based on MANOVA. Leisure-time physical activity scores were consistently associated to better physical component summary scores of the SF-12. Implications for practice include that leisure-time physical activities have been at the forefront of public health promotion, and our findings support this approach. Further, population specific interventions are indeed important, however, within this Canadian context when identifying target groups one must look beyond sociocultural status or geographical location.

Direction-specific recruitment of rotator cuff muscles during bench press and row

Recent studies indicate that rotator cuff (RC) muscles are recruited in a reciprocal, direction-specific pattern during shoulder flexion and extension exercises. The main purpose of this study was to determine if similar reciprocal RC recruitment occurs during bench press (flexion-like) and row (extension-like) exercises. In addition, shoulder muscle activity was comprehensively compared between bench press and flexion; row and extension; and bench press and row exercises. Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from 9 shoulder muscles sites in 15 normal volunteers. All exercises were performed at 20, 50 and 70% of subjects’ maximal load. EMG data were normalized to standard maximal voluntary contractions. Infraspinatus activity was significantly higher than subscapularis during bench press, with the converse pattern during the row exercise. Significant differences in activity levels were found in pectoralis major, deltoid and trapezius between the bench press and flexion exercises and in lower trapezius between the row and extension exercises. During bench press and row exercises, the recruitment pattern in each active muscle did not vary with load. During bench press and row exercises, RC muscles contract in a reciprocal direction-specific manner in their role as shoulder joint dynamic stabilizers to counterbalance antero-posterior translation forces.

Long-term effect of exercise on bone mineral density and body composition in post-menopausal ex-elite athletes: a retrospective study

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the long-term effect of exercise on bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and body composition (BC) in post-menopausal women who were elite athletes during their youth compared with sedentary controls. It is a retrospective study and carried out in an outpatient clinic. A total of 48 post-menopausal women (54-73 years of age) were enrolled. Ex-elite athletes with long-term (>20 years) histories of significant training and performance were divided into two groups: weight-bearing sports (runners, n=12) and non-weight-bearing sports (swimmers, n=12). The athletes were age matched with sedentary controls (n=24). BMD, BMC and BC were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Healthcare and sport activity histories were evaluated using a questionnaire. No significant differences were found with regard to body weight, height, body mass index and hours of activity between the two groups of athletes. There were no significant differences in activity levels between athletes and controls at the time of this study. BMD and BMC were not significantly different between athletes; they were significantly higher in athletes than in controls (P<0.001). Although the ex-athletes did not significantly differ in BC, left and right lean arm mass and arm BMD were significantly higher in swimmers than in runners (P<0.0001). The high level of physical activity observed in female athletes is associated with improved muscle mass, BMD and BMC, and physical activity during youth seems to have a beneficial effect on bone mass and helps to prevent bone loss due to aging.

Increased Food Intake and Energy Expenditure Following Administration of Olanzapine to Healthy Men

Atypical antipsychotic medications like olanzapine (OLZ) induce weight gain and increase the risk of diabetes in patients with schizophrenia. The goal of this study was to assess potential mechanisms of OLZ-induced weight gain and accompanying metabolic effects. Healthy, lean, male volunteers received OLZ and placebo (PBO) in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study. In periods 1 and 2, subjects received OLZ (5 mg for 3 days then OLZ 10 mg for 12 days) or matching PBO separated by a minimum 12-day washout. Twenty-four hour food intake (FI), resting energy expenditure (REE), activity level, metabolic markers, and insulin sensitivity (IS) were assessed. In total, 30 subjects were enrolled and 21 completed both periods. Mean age and BMI were 27 years (range: 18-49 years) and 22.6 +/- 2.2 kg/m(2), respectively. Relative to PBO, OLZ resulted in a 2.62 vs. 0.08 kg increase in body weight (P < 0.001) and 18% (P = 0.052 or 345 kcal) increase in FI. Excluding one subject with nausea and dizziness on the day of OLZ FI measurement, the increase in FI was 547 kcal, (P < 0.05). OLZ increased REE relative to PBO (113 kcal/day, P = 0.003). Significant increases in triglycerides, plasminogen activator inhibitor-I (PAI-I), leptin, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were observed. No significant differences in activity level or IS were observed. This study provides evidence that OLZ pharmacology drives the early increase in weight through increased FI, without evidence of decreased energy expenditure (EE), activity level, or short-term perturbations in IS.