Effects of 40% of Maximum Oxygen Uptake Intensity Cycling Combined with Blood Flow Restriction Training on Body Composition and Serum Biomarkers of Chinese College Students with Obesity

Blood flow restriction training (BFRT) is a new method for promoting muscle growth and improving muscle function, even with relatively low-intensity exercise. BFRT on patients with obesity has not been extensively studied. This study aimed to analyze the effects of cycling at 40% of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) combined with BFRT on body composition and serum biomarkers among college students with obesity. This pilot study included thirty-seven male college students with obesity aged 18–22 years (experimental group (EG): n = 18; control group (CG): n = 19). The EG conducted 40% VO2max cycling combined with BFRT activities and the CG conducted 40% VO2max cycling without BFRT two times per week for 12 weeks. Our results showed that in EG, there were significant differences in weight, thigh skinfold thickness (TS), waist circumference, abdominal skinfold thickness, fat mass, body fat percentage, body mass index and glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels before and after the experiment (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001). After the experiment, TS, GLU, TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C in EG were significantly different than those of the CG (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001). Together, our results demonstrate that cycling at 40% VO2max combined with BFRT may improve body composition and blood lipid profile of male college students with obesity. Our findings have important implications for those who cannot perform moderate- and high-intensity exercises.

ASSESSMENT OF SOMATOTYPE IN INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN SOCCER PLAYING AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS

Total tribal population in India is 10.43 crore, consisting 8.6% of the total population. Santhals are one of the largest tribal communities inhabiting states of West Bengal., Bihar. Jharkhand. On the other hand, physical activity has been considered as the basic need for every work and particularly in team sports. Keeping this in view the present study has been undertaken in 43 Santhal males, of age range 18-26 years, involved in regular soccer playing, to compute the somatotyping characteristics and to find out whether there is any variation in such scoring among individuals playing at different positions. Anthropometric measurements included body weight, stature, skinfold thickness, breadths, girths. Somatotyping scores also calculated. Results of the study concluded that defenders and midfielders had high mesomorphic component whereas individuals, playing at forward position, possessed the highest ectomorphic component

Features of skinfold thickness in men with benign nevi

Nevi, although benign neoplasms of the skin, but have a certain tendency to malignancy, which is influenced by various external and internal human factors. Predicting the risk of benign nevi against this background is an important topic for experimental research. The aim of the study was to establish the features of the skinfold thickness (SFT) in men of the first adult age with benign nevi. SFT was determined according to the Bunak scheme for men (aged 22-35 years) with melanocyte benign simple nevi (n=34), melanocyte benign dysplastic nevi (n=27), melanocyte benign congenital nevi (n=14) and non-melanocyte benign (n=17). The control group – SFT of 82 practically healthy men of the same age group was selected from the data bank of the Research Center of National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsya. Statistical processing of the results was performed in the license package “Statistica 5.5” using non-parametric evaluation methods. It was found that in practically healthy men higher than in patients – SFT on the anterior and posterior surfaces of the shoulder and thigh (in all groups of patients); SFT on the forearm, at the lower angle of the scapula, chest and shin (only in patients with melanocyte benign dysplastic nevi). Also in healthy men are found lower than in patients – SFT on the side (in all groups of patients); SFT in the abdomen (in patients with melanocyte benign simple and non-melanocyte benign nevi). When comparing SFT between patients with benign nevi, in most cases, lower values of SFT found in patients with melanocyte benign dysplastic nevi. The obtained results indicate the initial manifestations of abdominal (android) type of fat deposition in the body in patients with benign nevi (most pronounced in patients with melanocyte benign simple nevi).

Malnutrition could predict 3-month functional prognosis in mild stroke patients: Findings from a Nationwide Stroke Registry

Background: Previous studies showed the inconsistent effects of malnutrition contributing to poor prognosis of stroke. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of malnutrition on 3-month functional prognosis of stroke patients with different stroke severity assessed by the national institute of health stroke scale (NIHSS). Patients with first-ever stroke were consecutively enrolled in a nationwide, multicenter, and prospective registry from March 2007 to January 2008. Methods: Nutritional status was assessed at admission. Malnutrition was defined by any abnormality of 6 nutrition indicators, including body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), haemoglobin, albumin, and prealbumin. Stroke patients were classified into mild (NIHSS<8) and severe (NIHSS≥8) groups. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the risk of poor functional prognosis [ modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≥3] and mortality at 3-month follow-up in mild or severe patients with malnutrition at admission. A total of 755 patients with first-ever stroke were enrolled in the study. Results: Multivariable analysis showed that malnutrition independently contributed to a higher risk of mRS 3-6 at 3-month for mild stroke patients [odds ratio (OR) 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-3.34], but didn’t for severe stroke patients (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.53-1.54) after adjusting for confounders including age, NIHSS, and infection et al. After adjusting for the potential confounders, malnutrition was still an independent risk factor for 3-month poor functional prognosis in mild stroke patients. Conclusion: Further investigation may be needed to illustrate the effects of improving nutritional status on stroke patients.

Nuchal Skinfold Thickness in Pediatric Brain Tumor Patients

BackgroundSevere obesity and tumor relapse/progression have impact on long-term prognosis in pediatric brain tumor patients.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, we analyzed nuchal skinfold thickness (NST) on magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) follow-up monitoring as a parameter for assessment of nuchal adipose tissue in 177 brain tumor patients (40 World Health Organization (WHO) grade 1–2 brain tumor; 31 grade 3–4 brain tumor; 106 craniopharyngioma), and 53 healthy controls. Furthermore, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio, caliper-measured skinfold thickness, and blood pressure were analyzed for association with NST.ResultsCraniopharyngioma patients showed higher NST, BMI, waist-to-height ratio, and caliper-measured skinfold thickness when compared to other brain tumors and healthy controls. WHO grade 1–2 brain tumor patients were observed with higher BMI, waist circumference and triceps caliper-measured skinfold thickness when compared to WHO grade 3–4 brain tumor patients. NST correlated with BMI, waist-to-height ratio, and caliper-measured skinfold thickness. NST, BMI and waist-to-height ratio were associated with increased blood pressure. In craniopharyngioma patients with hypothalamic involvement/lesion or gross-total resection, rate and degree of obesity were increased.ConclusionsNST could serve as a novel useful marker for regional nuchal adipose tissue. NST is highly associated with body mass and waist-to-height ratio, and easily measurable in routine MRI monitoring of brain tumor patients.

Weight Gain and Loss In Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy: Importance of Dose Adjustment

Introduction: The established dose of chemotherapy is based on the values of the patient's body weight, where variations during treatment can increase the toxicity of chemotherapy, with the development of nephrotoxicity, among other toxicity profiles, as well as in cases of weight gain, patients may receive low doses and compromise the therapeutic response to the tumor. Objective: to evaluate weight gain and loss in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: Longitudinal analytical study with patients at the end of chemotherapy treatment of both genders. The type, location of the tumor and the antineoplastic agent used were collected from the medical records, as well as height and weight at the beginning of treatment. At the time of collection, anthropometric assessment was performed using body mass index, arm circumference, arm muscle circumference, triceps skinfold thickness and percentage of weight loss. Results: Among the patients included in the study, 47.5% had a weight gain of around 2.5 kg, while the remaining patients (52.5%) had a weight loss of around 2.8 kg. Of the patients who had GFR, 55.5% had severe PP, 33.4% had no significant loss and 11.1 had significant loss. In the current study, only 22% had a GFR <60ml/min/1.73m², but they would already need to readjust the medication calculation. Conclusion: It is important to evaluate body surface variations and also the GFR to adjust the dose of the antineoplastic agent and to prevent or minimize nephrotoxicity, as well as to reduce the risk of underdosing and inefficiency of the therapy.

Pregnancy’s Relationship With Diabetes and Induced Hypertension: A Mini-Review

It is pointed out in many articles that induced hypertension and gestational diabetes are well linked to pregnancy, but this relationship is not well determined. The report focuses on the pregnancy’s relationship with diabetes and induced hypertension. It is found herein that mean pregnancy is directly related with glucose levels (GLUC) (P=0.07), age (P<0.01), BMI (P=0.07), Diabetic Women (DW) status (P=0.01), interaction effect of Triceps SkinFold Thickness (TSFT) and age (TSFT × Age) (P<0.01), while it is inversely related with GLUC × Age (P=0.02), TSFT × BMI (P<0.01), Insulin (INSU) (P=0.06) and Diabetes Pedigree Function (DPDF) (P=0.03). Variance of pregnancy is directly related with GLUC (P=0.07), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) (P=0.04), GLUC × TSFT (P<0.01), DBP × TSFT (P<0.01), DPDF (P=0.01), INSU × BMI (P=0.15), while it is inversely related with GLUC × DBP (P=0.01), TSFT (P<0.01), TSFT × DPDF (P=0.03), INSU (P=0.07). It is easily interpreted that pregnancy’s mean is well connected to diabetic parameters such as INSU and GLUC levels, history of DW, DPDF, BMI, GLUC × Age, while its variance is connected to diabetic and hypertension parameters such as GLUC, DPDF, DBP, GLUC × TSFT, DBP × TSFT, INSU × BMI, GLUC × DBP, TSFT × DPDF, INSU. Moreover, it is derived that a diabetic female has a higher chance to be pregnant than a normal woman.

VOLLEYBALL AS AN EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE FEMALE ADOLESCENTS

ABSTRACT Introduction: Sport is very important in the lives of children and adolescents, as it brings countless benefits at the physical, psychological and social levels. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects on physical fitness of an exercise program for overweight and obese female adolescents, with an emphasis on teaching volleyball. Methods: Twenty-five volunteers participated, aged between 13 and 14 years, of which 11 were overweight or obese for statistical analysis. Anthropometric and physical capacity assessments were performed, before and after 12 weeks, through activities related to volleyball. Results: There was an increase in height and span and a reduction in waist circumference, with no significant differences in body weight, BMI, arm circumference and triceps skinfold thickness; there was an increase in the sit-and-reach test, in the number of sit-ups and in the distance of the horizontal jump. There was a decrease in the time in the square test and the 20-meter run, with no significant differences in the medicine ball throw and in the 6-minute run test. Conclusion: It is concluded that the volleyball teaching program provided benefits for the physical fitness of overweight and obese adolescents. Level of evidence II; Lower quality RCT (example, <80% follow-up, no randomization code masking or inadequate randomization).

Skinfold thickness in men with mild and severe psoriasis without and taking into account the somatotype

Significant prevalence and decline in quality of life caused by psoriasis in combination with the lack of etiotropic methods of its treatment, put this disease, in terms of relevance for modern medicine on a par with diabetes, hypertension, asthma etc. That is, there is a need to find easily accessible markers that would determine the susceptibility to this disease. The aim of the study was to establish the differences in the skinfold thickness between healthy and/or psoriatic Ukrainian men depending on the severity of the disease without and taking into account the somatotype. For 32 Ukrainian men of the first mature age, patients with mild psoriasis and 68 men with severe psoriasis (according to the PASI index) were determined skinfold thickness according to Bunak and determined the somatotype according to the Heath-Carter scheme. The control group consisted of 82 healthy men of similar age, selected from the database of the research center of National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsya. Statistical data processing was performed in the license package “Statistica 5.5” using non-parametric methods of evaluation of the obtained results. It was found that in patients with mild or severe psoriasis of men without division into somatotypes and in representatives of the mesomorphic somatotype compared to healthy men, the skinfold thickness is significantly higher at the lower angle of the scapula, abdomen and side, and significantly lower on the back and front of the shoulder, chest and thighs. When comparing the skinfold thickness between patients with mild or severe psoriasis of endo-mesomorphic somatotype with healthy men of similar somatotype, we found larger values of the skinfold thickness under the lower angle of the scapula (only with mild course), on the abdomen and side, and also smaller values of the skinfold thickness on the posterior surface of the shoulder and only in representatives with severe psoriasis – on the anterior surface of the shoulder, chest and thigh. Between patients with different degrees of severity of dermatosis both without distribution, and with distribution on various somatotypes of reliable or tendencies of differences of skinfold thickness are not revealed. Thus, there are pronounced differences in most indicators of the skinfold thickness between healthy and patients with mild or severe psoriasis of Ukrainian men of the first mature age, both without distribution and with the division into different somatotypes.