Relationships between leisure time physical activity for exercise and other health-related behaviors

In this article the relationships between physical activity for exercise and other health-related behaviors is studied. The data analyzed were collected during 1991 by telephone in Glasgow and Edinburgh and concern 2418 male and 3053 female respondents between 18 and 60 years of age. In the analysis, respondents who reported exercising less than once in the previous week were contrasted with respondents who reported exercising more often. Compared with respondents exercising less often, respondents who reported exercising more often reported being smokers and adding salt to their food significantly less often, and more often reported drinking alcohol, using low-fat spread and engaging in weight-losing behavior. No significant relation was found between physical activity for exercise and seat-belt use among males and blood pressure checking among males and females.     

Relationships between home environment and scholastic behavior in a disadvantaged population.

Examined relationships between home environmental factors and measures of scholastic ability and attainment for 60 8–9 yr olds living in a disadvantaged area. Six measures of home environmental process variables were obtained for each S. Six measures of scholastic behavior were also obtained; these were derived from the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Culture Fair Intelligence Test (Scale 1), Marino Graded Word Reading Scale, Irish Word Recognition Test, and Schonell Mechanical Arithmetic Test (Form B). In a series of multiple regression analyses, each measure of scholastic behavior was regressed on the 6 home measures. Results indicate that home variables were most successful in predicting attainment test scores, somewhat less successful in predicting "culture-dependent" (crystallized) intelligence test scores, and least successful in predicting "culture-fair" (fluid) intelligence test scores. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Associations between self-assessed masticatory ability and some general health factors in a Swedish population

BACKGROUND: A phase III, randomized, double-blind, multi-institutional trial was performed evaluating active specific immunotherapy using vaccinia melanoma oncolysate (VMO) in the surgical adjuvant setting in patients with stage II melanoma (UICC staging). The first interim analysis showed no significant difference in disease-free and overall survival. The data were further analyzed to identify subsets of patients with improved outcome when treated with VMO. METHODS: Patients received either VMO or placebo of live vaccinia vaccine virus (V), once a week for 13 weeks and then once every 2 weeks for an additional 39 weeks or until recurrence. Having stratified patients according to sex, age, number of positive nodes, tumor thickness, and clinical stage, data were analyzed for disease-free survival and overall survival. RESULTS: Male patients showed a 17% difference in overall survival at 4 years when treated with VMO (p = 0.19). A subset of male patients < 57 years of age with one to five positive nodes showed a 30% difference at 4 years with VMO (p = 0.06). Patients with clinical stage I but pathological stage II disease (both male and female), who had undergone prophylactic node dissection, showed a 23% difference in survival at 3 years with VMO (p = 0.11). CONCLUSIONS: This subset analysis shows encouraging survival benefit in certain subsets of patients and an increasing trend in overall survival. Further follow-up of this phase III trial from a second interim analysis will be forthcoming.     

Habitual physical activity in a population residing in the city of Barcelona

OBJECTIVES: To describe the sociodemographic distribution of habitual physical activity and to analyse its relationship with self-perceived health status and occupational status, among the population older that 16 years of age in the city of Barcelona, Spain. METHODS: A sample of 1,885 adult men and 2,196 women answered the Health Interview Survey of Barcelona in 1992. Those whose habitual activity required high physical exertion or walking were considered as active. Bivariate and multivariate analyses adjusting logistic regression models were used to study the relationship between habitual physical activity and the rest of variables, for each occupational situation. RESULTS: Fifty six percent of adults reported being physically active. Physical activity was lower among workers than non workers, although workers reported more physical exertion (14.5% in men and 8.0% in women). Physical activity was associated with occupation and educational level among male workers, but only with occupation among female workers. In the non working population, physical activity was lower among those who perceived their health status as fair or poor, compared with those that described it as good or very good, (ORa in men was 0.2, 95% confidence interval = 0.1-0.5; ORa in women was 0.5, 95% confidence interval = 0.3-0.8). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the Barcelona population were physically active in an habitual manner. Among workers, this activity was mainly determined by the occupation. Non-workers with a poor self-perceived health status did less physical activity.     

Relationships between physical exercise and cognitive abilities in older adults.

We investigated relationship between physical exercise and the cognitive abilities of older adults. We hypothesized that the performance of vigorous exercisers would be superior to that of sedentary individuals on measures of reasoning, working memory, and reaction time (RT). We gave a series of cognitive tasks to 62 older men and women who exercised vigorously and 62 sedentary men and women. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAs), with age and education as covariates, indicated that the performance of the exercisers was significantly better on measures of reasoning, working memory, and RT. Between-group differences persisted when vocabulary, on which the performance of exercisers was superior, was used as third covariate. Subsequent analyses showed that neither self-rated health, medical conditions, nor medications contributed to the differences between exercise groups. Results suggest that the possible contribution of physical exercise to individual differences in cognition among older adults should be further investigated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nutrition, physical activity, and bone health in women

Calcium and vitamin D can significantly impact bone mineral and fracture risk in women. Unfortunately, calcium intakes in women are low and many elderly have poor vitamin D status. Supplementation with calcium (approximately 1000 mg) can reduce bone loss in premenopausal and late postmenopausal women, especially at sites that have a high cortical bone composition. Vitamin D supplementation slows bone loss and reduces fracture rates in late postmenopausal women. While an excess of nutrients such as sodium and protein potentially affect bone mineral through increased calcium excretion, phytoestrogens in soy foods may attenuate bone loss through estrogenlike activity. Weight-bearing physical activity may reduce the risk of osteoporosis in women by augmenting bone mineral during the early adult years and reducing the loss of bone following menopause. High-load activities, such as resistance training, appear to provide the best stimulus for enhancing bone mineral; however, repetitive activities, such as walking, may have a positive impact on bone mineral when performed at higher intensities. Irrespective of changes in bone mineral, physical activities that improve muscular strength, endurance, and balance may reduce fracture risk by reducing the risk of falling. The combined effect of physical activity and calcium supplementation on bone mineral needs further investigation.     

Cataract surgery in a Swedish population: observations and complications

PURPOSE: To describe relevant clinical conditions at cataract surgery in a defined Swedish population, examine variables and their influence on the operative procedure, and estimate the risk of complications at surgery. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Lund University Hospital, Sweden. METHODS: Using the Cataract Analysis System, data were prospectively collected on 5878 consecutive cataract surgeries performed in a single Swedish health care district from 1986 to 1990. Patients younger than 15 years were not included. The study population was complete enough to represent all cataract surgeries in the referral region of the Lund Health Care District during this period. The incidence of zonular or lens capsule rupture at surgery was used as a measure of surgical complications and assessed as a function of other preoperative and surgical parameters. A logistic regression model was used to assess the probability of complications at surgery. RESULTS: Glaucoma was the highest statistically significant preoperative risk factor for capsular or zonular rupture at surgery, with or without vitreous loss, with a relative risk of 2.7 (i.e., a 2.7-fold increase in risk over patients without glaucoma). Surgeons performing fewer than 40 operations in 5 years had a relative risk of zonular or capsular rupture of approximately 2.9 (i.e., a 2.9-fold increase in risk over high-volume surgeons). The overall risk was 2.5%. CONCLUSION: Cataract patients with glaucoma have an increased risk of complications at surgery. Surgeons performing few operations tended to have more capsular or zonular ruptures.     

Physical activity and bone mass: exercises in futility?

Growing bone responds to low or moderate exercise through significant additions of new bone in both cortical and trabecular moieties and results in adaptation through periosteal expansion and endocortical contraction. Intracortical activation frequency declines in growing bone in response to exercise, reducing porosity and the remodelling space. These adaptations can be maintained into and throughout adulthood. Young bones have a greater potential for periosteal expansion than aging bone, allowing them to adapt more rapidly and efficiently to an acute need for increased strength, but a threshold level of activity exists above which some bones respond negatively by suppressing normal growth and modelling activity, reducing geometric, mechanical and material properties in cortical and trabecular bone. From cross-sectional studies, differences in bone mass between exercising and non-exercising adults are generally less than 10%, but do not account for exercise history which may be very important, and often fail to consider important confounding variables. There is sufficient longitudinal data to demonstrate that moderate to intensive training can bring about modest increases of about 1-3% in bone mineral content (BMC) of men and premenopausal women. In young adults very strenuous training may increase BMC of the tibia up to 11% and its bone density (BD) by 7%, but may represent periosteal woven bone formation in response to excessive strain. Some evidence shows that exercise can also add bone mass to the post-menopausal skeleton, although the amounts are site-specific and relatively modest. Increases as high as 5-8% can be found after 1-2 years of intensive exercise, but additions of bone to the femur and radius are generally less than 2%, well within the range of the remodelling space and measurement precision. Although increases in bone mass of the post-menopausal skeleton may be extremely modest, physical activity is important to preserve bone mass and muscle function. Detraining reduces any bone mass increase to pre-existing values so that long-term benefits are only retained with continuing exercise. Most importantly, the amount of bone gain that can be achieved appears dependent primarily on the initial bone mass suggesting that individuals with extremely low initial bone mass may have more to gain from exercise than those with moderately reduced bone mass.     

Tocopherol concentrations in adipose tissue. Relationships of tocopherol concentrations and fatty acid composition in serum in a reference population of Swedish men and women

The differences in EEG theta waves between concentrative and non-concentrative Qigong states were studied by means of power spectrum analysis and EEG mapping. The adult subjects included 20 practitioners of concentrative Qigong, 30 practitioners of non-concentrative Qigong and 23 control subjects. The results showed frontal mid-line theta rhythm was related to concentrative Qigong state. As the theta rhythm has been suggested to be one of the normal EEG patterns occurring in mental concentration, it is concluded that the theta rhythm is an indicator of mental concentration during Qigong state. This finding clarifies the implication of the theta rhythms appearing in Qigong and other meditation.     

The Troms? Study: physical activity and the incidence of fractures in a middle-aged population

We have studied the relation of occupational and recreational physical activity to fractures at different locations. All men born between 1925 and 1959 and all women born between 1930 and 1959 in the city of Troms? were invited to participate in surveys in 1979-1980 and 1986-1987 (The Troms? Study). Of 16,676 invited persons, 12,270 (73.6%) attended both surveys. All nonvertebral fractures (n = 1435) sustained from 1988 to 1995 were registered in the only hospital in the area. Average age in the middle of the follow-up period (December 31, 1991) was 47.3 years among men and 4501 years among women, ranging from 32 to 66 years. Fracture incidence increased with age at all locations among women, but it decreased with or was independent of age among men. Low-energetic fractures constituted 74.4% of all fractures among women and 55.2% among men. When stratifying by fracture location, the most physically active persons among those 45 years or older suffered fewer fractures in the weight-bearing skeleton (relative risk [RR] 0.6, confidence interval [CI] 0.4-0.9, age-adjusted), but not in the non-weight-bearing skeleton (RR 1.0, CI 0.7-1.2, age-adjusted) compared with sedentary persons. The relative-risk of a low-energetic fracture in the weight-bearing skeleton among the most physically active middle-aged was 0.3 (CI 0.1-0.7) among men and 0.9 (CI 0.4-1.8) among women compared with the sedentary when adjusted for age, body mass index, body height, tobacco smoking, and alcohol and milk consumption. It seems that the beneficial effect on the skeleton of weight-bearing activity is reflected also in the incidence of fractures at different sites.     

Variation in bone mineral density between different anatomical sites in a normal local population

Bone mineral density (BMD) measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) can be expressed in terms of standard deviations, above or below mean young adult T-scores and above or below age-matched Z-scores. The differences between the left neck of the femur (LN), right neck of the femur (RN) and lumbar spine (L2-L4) were statistically significant, irrespective of whether expressed as T-scores or Z-scores. Therefore skeletal status assessment should involve as many sites as practically possible. Considering the low radiation dose and short scanning time, it is suggested that at least the two femurs and lumbar spine BMD be used in routine osteoporosis risk assessment.     

Relationship between changes in physical activity and plasma insulin during a 2.5-year follow-up study

The association between changes in physical activity, body weight, and diet and fasting plasma insulin was analyzed in a 2.5-year follow-up study of 146 men aged 50 to 60 years. Physical activity was assessed by a 7-day physical activity recall interview, diet by a 4-day food record, and plasma insulin radioimmunologically. Total physical activity decreased from (mean +/- SD) 45.1 +/- 10.1 to 39.0 +/- 6.1 metabolic equivalent (MET) hours (METh).d-1 and conditioning physical activity (> 5.0 METs) from 8.0 +/- 11.2 to 2.7 +/- 5.0 METh.d-1, whereas plasma insulin increased from 8.2 +/- 5.8 to 9.2 +/- 6.7 mU.L-1 and body weight from 80.5 +/- 12.0 to 81.6 +/- 11.6 kg during the follow-up period (P < or = .001 for all). The change in conditioning physical activity correlated inversely (r = -.34, P < .001) and change in body weight positively (r = .42,P < .001) with the change in plasma insulin level. With data adjusted for the baseline insulin level, cardiovascular health status, alcohol intake, change in body weight, smoking, age, and follow-up time, the odds ratio for an increase in fasting plasma insulin was 8.9 (95% CI, 2.1 to 37.1; P = .003) for men with the greatest decrease in conditioning physical activity (< -7 METh) compared with men who reported an increase in conditioning physical activity. The same logistic regression model showed an odds ratio of 9.9 (95% CI, 2.1 to 45.4; P = .003) for the increase in plasma insulin for subjects who gained more than 3.3 kg body weight compared with subjects who lost at least 0.6 kg. Men who consumed at least 12 g.d-1 alcohol at both examinations had an odds ratio of 12.8 (95% CI, 1.7 to 94.5; P = .012) compared with nondrinkers. These data suggest that in middle-aged men, a reduction in physical activity increases the risk for increased plasma insulin independently of alcohol intake and changes in body weight.     

Oral hygiene and gingivitis in a Swedish adult population 1973, 1983 and 1993

BACKGROUND: Hypertriglyceridaemia is a common metabolic disorder frequently found in patients with coronary heart disease. Numerous studies have revealed an association between the SstI polymorphism in the APOC3 gene and increased plasma apoC3 and triglyceride levels. In addition, two different variants within the promoter region have been recently suggested to be the mutations of the APOC3 gene leading to hypertriglyceridaemia. METHODS: In the present study, we have applied haplotype analysis to investigate whether these promoter polymorphisms are involved in the lipid disorders of patients with distinct types of hypertriglyceridaemia: combined hyperlipidaemia (CHL), familial dysbetalipoproteinaemia (FD) and endogenous hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG). RESULTS: The -482 and -455 polymorphisms were significantly more frequent in FD patients (P = 0. 017) and endogenous HTG patients (P < 0.0001) than in CHL patients and a control group. The SstI polymorphism was only significantly more frequent in HTG patients (P < 0.0001). However, we did not find differences in frequencies for these polymorphisms in the APOC3 gene between CHL patients and a control group. Haplotype analysis indicates that the SstI polymorphism arose on the allele containing both promoter polymorphisms. CONCLUSION: The haplotype containing the SstI polymorphism is found five times more frequently among HTG patients (OR 5.28, 95% CI 1.65-16.90), which strongly suggests it is associated with an increased risk for severe hypertriglyceridaemia.     

Relationships between nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase activity and inosine triphosphate accumulation in human erythrocytes

The relationship between nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolast (NTPH) (EC 3.6.1.19) activity in erythrocyte lysates and accumulation of radioactive inosine triphosphate (ITP) in human erythrocytes incubated in vitro with [14C]hypoxanthine, was studied in 93 humans. When ITP accumulation, expressed as percentage of total radioactive nucleotides, was plotted against NTPH specific activity, an inverse relationship was found to exist. A continous spectrum of NTPH specific activities and ITP accumulation values exists in the human population and the relationship between these two parameters follows the relationship of substrate concentration to enzyme activity predicted by Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics. One interpretation of these data is that the ITP concentration in human red blood cells is controlled by the degradation of ITP to IMP and pyrophosphate catalyzed by NTPH.     

Effect of physical activity as a caddie on ultrasound measurements of the Os calcis: a cross-sectional comparison

Human epidermal keratinocytes synthesize, secrete, and degrade acetylcholine and use their cell-surface nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors to mediate the autocrine and paracrine effects of acetyl-choline. Because acetylcholine modulates transmembrane Ca2+ transport and intracellular metabolism in several types of cells, we hypothesized that cholinergic agents might have similar effects on keratinocytes. Nicotine increased in a concentration-dependent manner the amount of 45Ca2+ taken up by keratinocytes isolated from human neonatal fore-skins. This effect was abolished in the presence of the specific nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine, indicating that it was mediated by keratinocyte nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(s). The sequences encoding the alpha 5 and alpha 7 nicotinic receptor subunits were amplified from cDNA isolated from cultured keratinocytes. These subunits, as well as the alpha 3, beta 2, and beta 4 subunits previously found in keratinocytes, can be components of Ca(2+)-permeable nicotinic receptor channels. To learn how activation of keratinocyte nicotinic receptors affected the rate of cell differentiation, we measured the nicotinic cholinergic effects on the expression of differentiation markers by cultured keratinocytes. Long-term incubations with micromolar concentrations of nicotine markedly increased the number of cells forming cornified envelopes and the number of cells staining with antibodies to suprabasal keratin 10, transglutaminase type I, involucrin, and filaggrin. The increased production of these differentiation-associated proteins was verified by Western blotting. Because nicotinic cholinergic stimulation causes transmembrane Ca2+ transport into keratinocytes, and because changes in concentrations of intracellular Ca2+ are known to alter various keratinocyte functions, including differentiation, the subcellular mechanisms mediating the autocrine and paracrine actions of epidermal acetylcholine on keratinocytes may involve Ca2+ as a second messenger.     

The appropriateness of performing coronary angiography and coronary artery revascularization in a Swedish population

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the appropriateness of performing coronary angiography and revascularization in a Swedish population. DESIGN: Prospective population study of questionnaires and medical records. SETTING: All the hospitals in southwestern Sweden that perform coronary angiography and revascularization. PATIENTS: Random sample of 831 patients (with chronic stable angina) on the waiting list for coronary angiography or revascularization in southwestern Sweden in September 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Percentage of patients referred for coronary angiography or revascularization for appropriate, uncertain, or inappropriate indications. RESULTS: Of the patients referred for angiography, 89% were classified as appropriate, 9% as uncertain, and 2% as inappropriate. The percentages are similar for patients referred for coronary artery bypass graft surgery and for angioplasty (91% and 86%, respectively, classified as appropriate). The majority of patients had chest pain rated as Canadian Cardiovascular Society classes II through IV (93%), despite maximum anti-ischemic therapy in 90% of these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Few patients were referred for coronary angiography or revascularization for inappropriate or uncertain indications. The percentage of these patients who are from southwestern Sweden is similar to the percentage recently reported from New York State.