Single blind, randomised controlled trial of pelvic floor exercises, electrical stimulation, vaginal cones, and no treatment in management of genuine stress incontinence in women.
(1/3429)
OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of pelvic floor exercises, electrical stimulation, vaginal cones, and no treatment for genuine stress incontinence. DESIGN: Stratified, single blind, randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Multicentre. PARTICIPANTS: 107 women with clinically and urodynamically proved genuine stress incontinence. Mean (range) age was 49.5 (24-70) years, and mean (range) duration of symptoms 10.8 (1-45) years. INTERVENTIONS: Pelvic floor exercise (n=25) comprised 8-12 contractions 3 times a day and exercise in groups with skilled physical therapists once a week. The electrical stimulation group (n=25) used vaginal intermittent stimulation with the MS 106 Twin at 50 Hz 30 minutes a day. The vaginal cones group (n=27) used cones for 20 minutes a day. The untreated control group (n=30) was offered the use of a continence guard. Muscle strength was measured by vaginal squeeze pressure once a month. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pad test with standardised bladder volume, and self report of severity. RESULTS: Improvement in muscle strength was significantly greater (P=0.03) after pelvic floor exercises (11.0 cm H2O (95% confidence interval 7.7 to 14.3) before v 19.2 cm H2O (15.3 to 23.1) after) than either electrical stimulation (14.8 cm H2O (10. 9 to 18.7) v 18.6 cm H2O (13.3 to 23.9)) or vaginal cones (11.8 cm H2O (8.5 to 15.1) v 15.4 cm H2O (11.1 to 19.7)). Reduction in leakage on pad test was greater in the exercise group (-30.2 g; -43. 3 to 16.9) than in the electrical stimulation group (-7.4 g; -20.9 to 6.1) and the vaginal cones group (-14.7 g; -27.6 to -1.8). On completion of the trial one participant in the control group, 14 in the pelvic floor exercise group, three in the electrical stimulation group, and two in the vaginal cones group no longer considered themselves as having a problem. CONCLUSION: Training of the pelvic floor muscles is superior to electrical stimulation and vaginal cones in the treatment of genuine stress incontinence. (+info)
Increased orthostatic tolerance following moderate exercise training in patients with unexplained syncope.
(2/3429)
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a programme of simple, moderate exercise training increases blood volume and improves orthostatic tolerance in patients with attacks of syncope or near syncope related to orthostatic stress. DESIGN: An open study in 14 patients referred with unexplained attacks of syncope, who were shown to have a low tolerance to an orthostatic stress test. Measurements were made of plasma and blood volumes, orthostatic tolerance to a test of combined head up tilt and lower body suction, and baroreceptor sensitivity by applying subatmospheric pressures to a chamber over the neck. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed from the relation between heart rate and oxygen uptake during a graded treadmill exercise test. Assessments were made before and after undertaking an exercise training programme (Canadian Air Force 5BX/XBX). RESULTS: After the training period, 12 of the 14 patients showed evidence of improved cardiorespiratory fitness. All 12 patients were symptomatically improved; they showed increases in plasma and blood volumes and in orthostatic tolerance, and decreases in baroreceptor sensitivity. Despite the improved orthostatic tolerance, values of blood pressure both while supine and initially following tilting were lower than before training. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise training has a role in the management of patients with syncope and poor orthostatic tolerance. It improves symptoms and increases orthostatic tolerance without increasing resting blood pressure. (+info)
Randomized, controlled trial of long-term moderate exercise training in chronic heart failure: effects on functional capacity, quality of life, and clinical outcome.
(3/3429)
BACKGROUND: It is still a matter of debate whether exercise training (ET) is a beneficial treatment in chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: To determine whether long-term moderate ET improves functional capacity and quality of life in patients with CHF and whether these effects translate into a favorable outcome, 110 patients with stable CHF were initially recruited, and 99 (59+/-14 years of age; 88 men and 11 women) were randomized into 2 groups. One group (group T, n=50) underwent ET at 60% of peak &f1;O2, initially 3 times a week for 8 weeks, then twice a week for 1 year. Another group (group NT, n=49) did not exercise. At baseline and at months 2 and 14, all patients underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test, while 74 patients (37 in group T and 37 in group NT) with ischemic heart disease underwent myocardial scintigraphy. Quality of life was assessed by questionnaire. Ninety-four patients completed the protocol (48 in group T and 46 in group NT). Changes were observed only in patients in group T. Both peak &f1;O2 and thallium activity score improved at 2 months (18% and 24%, respectively; P<0. 001 for both) and did not change further after 1 year. Quality of life also improved and paralleled peak VO2. Exercise training was associated both with lower mortality (n=9 versus n=20 for those with training versus those without; relative risk (RR)=0.37; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.84; P=0.01) and hospital readmission for heart failure (5 versus 14; RR=0.29; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.88; P=0.02). Independent predictors of events were ventilatory threshold at baseline (beta-coefficient=0.378) and posttraining thallium activity score (beta-coefficient -0.165). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term moderate ET determines a sustained improvement in functional capacity and quality of life in patients with CHF. This benefit seems to translate into a favorable outcome. (+info)
Effect of number of home exercises on compliance and performance in adults over 65 years of age.
(4/3429)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is limited research on the effects of the number of exercises a person is told to perform on compliance and performance, as defined by cueing requirements, correct alignment, and quality of movement. Some studies of medication suggest that compliance decreases as the number of medications increases. The purpose of this study was to determine whether older adults comply and perform better (ie, requiring less cueing, exhibiting correct alignment, and exhibiting controlled, coordinated, and continuous movements) when they are asked to do 2, 5, or 8 exercises. SUBJECTS: Subjects were 11 women and 4 men, aged 67 to 82 years (X=72.8), who were living independently in their communities. METHODS: Subjects were randomly prescribed 2, 5, or 8 general strengthening home exercises. They were instructed on their exercises at an initial session and asked to record the number of repetitions performed each day in a self-report exercise log. At a return session 7 to 10 days later, subjects were scored on their performance of the prescribed exercises using a newly designed assessment tool. RESULTS: The group that was prescribed 2 exercises performed better, as defined by their performance tool score, than the group that was prescribed 8 exercises. The group that was prescribed 5 exercises was not different from the groups that performed 2 or 8 exercises. No differences were found among groups regarding the self-report measurement of compliance. There was a moderate correlation between performance scores and the self-report percentage rates. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: Subjects who were prescribed 2 exercises performed better than subjects who were prescribed 8 exercises. The question of an optimal number of exercises to prescribe to elderly people warrants further study. (+info)
Effects of aggressive early rehabilitation on the outcome of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with multi-strand semitendinosus tendon.
(5/3429)
To evaluate the effects of aggressive early rehabilitation on the clinical outcome of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using semitendinosus (and gracilis) tendon, 103 of 110 consecutive patients who underwent ACL reconstruction using multistrand semitendinosus tendon (ST) or the central one-third of patellar tendon with bony attachments (BTB) were analyzed prospectively. Subjectively, the Lysholm score was not different among the groups. The Lachman test indicated a trend of less negative grade in the ST men's group than that in the BTB men's group. On the patellofemoral grinding test, only women patients of both groups showed pain, with less positive crepitation in the ST group than in the BTB group. KT measurements at manual maximum showed more patients with more than 5 mm differences in the ST group than in the BTB group. The results of this study suggest that aggressive early rehabilitation after the ACL reconstruction using the semitendinosus (and gracilis) tendon has more risk of residual laxity than with the BTB. (+info)
Views of survivors of stroke on benefits of physiotherapy.
(6/3429)
OBJECTIVE: To describe the components of physiotherapy valued by survivors of a stroke. DESIGN: Qualitative study using in-depth interviews. SETTING: Two adjacent districts in North East Thames Regional Health Authority. PATIENTS: 82 survivors of stroke taken consecutively from a stroke register when they reached the tenth month after their stroke, 40 of whom agreed to be interviewed. MAIN MEASURES: Content analysis of interviews. RESULTS: Patients who agreed to the interview were significantly less likely to be disabled 12 months after stroke than those who did not. Twenty four patients had received physiotherapy, and these were more disabled than those who had not. Patients appreciated physiotherapy. It was believed to bring about functional improvement; the exercise component was valued because it was perceived to keep them active and busy and exercise programmes to follow at home were also valued for the structure they gave to each day; and therapists were considered a source of advice and information and a source of faith and hope. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the positive aspects of caring which patients described in the context of physiotherapy could be incorporated into the mainstream of rehabilitation care and training. However, health professionals need to be careful not to promote false expectations about recovery. IMPLICATIONS: The outcome of treatment is of critical importance to patients and should become a central dimension of patient satisfaction questionnaires. The impact of physiotherapy is not confined to reducing physical disability but may also affect wellbeing. The choice of outcome measures in rehabilitation research should reflect this situation. (+info)
Effects of regular walking on cardiovascular risk factors and body composition in normoglycemic women and women with type 2 diabetes.
(7/3429)
OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of a 12-week walking program on body composition and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women with type 2 diabetes and in normoglycemic women with first-degree diabetic relatives. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: There were 11 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes and 20 normoglycemic women of similar age and BMI who were asked to walk 1 h per day on 5 days each week for 12 weeks. Fitness (estimated VO2max) was assessed with a 1.6-km walking test; body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; and sex hormone, metabolic, and lipid concentrations were measured in serum. RESULTS: After 12 weeks, estimated VO2max improved in both groups (P < 0.005). In the diabetic women, BMI and fat content of the upper body and android waist region decreased (P < 0.05). Concentrations of fasting blood glucose (P < 0.05) HbAlc (P < 0.05), total cholesterol (P < 0.005), and LDL cholesterol (P < 0.05) decreased, while HDL cholesterol and sex hormones were unchanged. In contrast, normoglycemic women failed to lose body fat after 12 weeks of exercise in a walking program. However, their HbAlc, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, sex hormone-binding globulin, and total testosterone concentrations decreased (P < 0.05). On pooling the data and including diabetes as a categorical grouping variable, stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that the change in centralized body fat, but not the change in VO2max, was related to change in fasting blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS: Twelve weeks of walking increased the fitness of diabetic and normoglycemic women. Improvement of fasting blood glucose was related to the loss of centralized body fat rather than to improved fitness. (+info)
The Diabetes Prevention Program. Design and methods for a clinical trial in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
(8/3429)
The Diabetes Prevention Program is a randomized clinical trial testing strategies to prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals with elevated fasting plasma glucose concentrations and impaired glucose tolerance. The 27 clinical centers in the U.S. are recruiting at least 3,000 participants of both sexes, approximately 50% of whom are minority patients and 20% of whom are > or = 65 years old, to be assigned at random to one of three intervention groups: an intensive lifestyle intervention focusing on a healthy diet and exercise and two masked medication treatment groups--metformin or placebo--combined with standard diet and exercise recommendations. Participants are being recruited during a 2 2/3-year period, and all will be followed for an additional 3 1/3 to 5 years after the close of recruitment to a common closing date in 2002. The primary outcome is the development of diabetes, diagnosed by fasting or post-challenge plasma glucose concentrations meeting the 1997 American Diabetes Association criteria. The 3,000 participants will provide 90% power to detect a 33% reduction in an expected diabetes incidence rate of at least 6.5% per year in the placebo group. Secondary outcomes include cardiovascular disease and its risk factors; changes in glycemia, beta-cell function, insulin sensitivity, obesity, diet, physical activity, and health-related quality of life; and occurrence of adverse events. A fourth treatment group--troglitazone combined with standard diet and exercise recommendations--was included initially but discontinued because of the liver toxicity of the drug. This randomized clinical trial will test the possibility of preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in individuals at high risk. (+info)