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Pregnancy exercise can prevent excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertension (GH), but inter-individual variability has not been explored. We aimed to analyze the prevalence––and potential sociodemographic and medical predictors of––non-responsiveness to gestational exercise, and the association of non-responsiveness with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Among 688 women who completed a supervised light-to-moderate intensity exercise program (three ~1-h sessions/week including aerobic, resistance, and pelvic floor muscle training) until near-term, those who showed EGWG, GDM or GH were considered ‘non-responders’. A low prevalence of non-responders was observed for GDM (3.6%) and GH (3.4%), but not for EGWG (24.2%). Pre-pregnancy obesity was the strongest predictor of non-responsiveness for GH (odds ratio 8.40 [95% confidence interval 3.10–22.78] and EGWG (5.37 [2.78–10.39]), whereas having a highest education level attenuated the risk of being non-responder for GDM (0.10 [0.02–0.49]). Non-responsiveness for EGWG was associated with a higher risk of prolonged labor length, instrumental/cesarean delivery, and macrosomia, and of lower Apgar scores. No association with negative delivery outcomes was found for GDM/GH. In summary, women with pre-pregnancy obesity might require from additional interventions beyond light-to-moderate intensity gestational exercise (e.g., diet and/or higher exercise loads) to ensure cardiometabolic benefits.

Depression is a major medical and social problem. Here we review current body of knowledge on the benefits of exercise as an effective strategy for both the prevention and treatment of this condition. We also analyze the biological pathways involved in such potential benefits, which include changes in neurotrophic factors, oxidative stress and inflammation, telomere length, brain volume and microvessels, neurotransmitters or hormones. We also identify major caveats in this field of research: further studies are needed to identify which are the most appropriate types of exercise interventions (intensity, duration, or frequency) to treat and prevent depression.

The current study was conducted to analyze the outcome and prognostic factors of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCL) who did not achieve a complete response (CR) to first-line treatment. The current study was comprised of 83 patients (43 males and 40 females with a median age of 62 years) who did not achieve a CR (58 of whom had primary refractory disease and 25 of whom achieved a partial response) with initial treatment (doxorubicin-containing regimens in 87% of cases) from a series of 239 patients consecutively diagnosed with DLCL at a single institution. Initial variables, response to therapy, and salvage treatment were analyzed to predict survival. Compared with patients who achieved a CR, nonresponders or partial responders more frequently were of advanced age and had a poor performance status (PS), B-symptoms, advanced stage of disease, bone marrow infiltration, increased serum lactate dehydrogenase, and a high-risk International Prognostic Index. Among the 58 patients with primary refractory disease, 18 died during initial treatment due to toxicity (14 patients) or disease progression (4 patients). The main variables predicting early death were a poor PS, age > 60 years, and an immunoblastic DLCL subtype. Twenty-five of these 58 patients were able to receive salvage regimens, with only 1 of them achieving a CR. The median survival for this group of patients was 10 months. With regard to those patients achieving a partial response, 18 of the 25 patients received further therapy with 28% of them achieving a CR. The median survival was 23 months. The degree of the response was found to be the only significant variable with which to predict survival, with 2-year survival rates of 4% and 40%, respectively, for patients with primary refractory disease and patients who achieved a partial response. The prognosis of patients with primarily refractory DLCL is extremely unfavorable, whereas that of patients who achieve a partial response is slightly better. The inclusion of these patients in experimental trials is limited due to their tendency to be of an older age and to have a poor general status. Cancer 2001;91:1557–62. © 2001 American Cancer Society.

(Abstracted from JAMA2017;317(11):1113–1114)Historically, providers have generally advised pregnant women to avoid vigorous exercise during pregnancy because of concerns of adverse impact such as preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction. Such concerns were not evidence based and have contributed to the worldwide obesity epidemic.