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Objective: To test whether training on a high-frequency (28Hz) vibrating platform improves muscle power and bone characteristics in postmenopausal women., Design: Randomized controlled trial with 6-month follow-up., Setting: Outpatient clinic in a general hospital in Italy., Participants: Twenty-nine postmenopausal women (intervention group, n=14; matched controls, n=15)., Intervention: Participants stood on a ground-based oscillating platform for three 2-minute sessions for a total of 6 minutes per training session, twice weekly for 6 months. The controls did not receive any training. Both groups were evaluated at baseline and after 6 months., Main Outcome Measures: Muscle power, calculated from ground reaction forces produced by landing after jumping as high as possible on a forceplate, cortical bone density, and biomarkers of bone turnover., Results: Over 6 months, muscle power improved by about 5% in women who received the intervention, and it remained unchanged in controls (P=.004). Muscle force remained stable in both the intervention and control groups. No significant changes were observed in bone characteristics., Conclusion: Reflex muscular contractions induced by vibration training improve muscle power in postmenopausal women.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical relevance of cardiac arrhythmias during rehabilitation after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery., Design: Survey of consecutive patients admitted to an inpatient cardiac rehabilitation center., Setting: A rehabilitation center acting as a reference for cardiology clinics lacking this facility. The program was performed in the inpatient setting., Patients: Two hundred sixty patients undergoing elective CABG surgery for angina., Interventions: Four-week cardiac rehabilitation program. A 24-hour electrocardiographic examination was performed during the first 2 days and, subsequently, on a daily basis., Main Outcome Measures: Incidence and type of cardiac arrhythmias during rehabilitation; identification of factors associated with an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias., Results: Cardiac arrhythmias were recorded in 33.5% of the patients and were more frequent in patients with hypertension (47%), diabetes (42.4%), and hyperlipidemia (36.5%), compared with patients free from these diseases (15.5%) (p < .05). Arrhythmias were also recorded in patients older than 70 years (49%), compared with those younger (29.2%) (p < .01), and in patients who discontinued amiodarone (64.3%) compared with those who did not interrupt the drug (16%) (p < .005). Arrhythmias precluded rehabilitation in 5% of the patients and caused death in one patient., Conclusion: Surveillance for the development of cardiac arrhythmias during cardiac rehabilitation after CABG surgery may allow the early detection and treatment of arrhythmias in a substantial number of patients.