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Purpose: To get insight into the potential significance of objectively measured sedentary time (ST), and physical activity (PA) intensity levels on sleep quality (SQ) in women with fibromyalgia; and to assess whether those who meet moderate‐to‐vigorous PA (MVPA) recommendations have better SQ than their counterparts. Methods: Four‐hundred and nine women with fibromyalgia (age range 30‐65 years old) from Andalusia (southern Spain) were included in this cross‐sectional study. Sedentary time, PA intensity levels (light, moderate, and MVPA), and total PA were assessed with accelerometers during seven consecutive days. Sleep quality was measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index self‐report questionnaire. Results: Higher ST was associated with worse subjective SQ, sleep duration, sleep disturbances, daytime dysfunction, and SQ global score (all, P < 0.05). All PA levels were associated with better subjective SQ and sleep latency and with less sleep medication and daytime dysfunction (all, P < 0.05). In addition, light and total PA were associated with better sleep efficiency, SQ global score, and less sleep disturbances (all, P < 0.05). Finally, women meeting bouted PA recommendations displayed better SQ than patients not meeting the recommendations (bouted or non‐bouted). Conclusion: Lower ST and greater PA levels are associated with better SQ in women with fibromyalgia. This result demonstrates that those patients with fibromyalgia who reduce periods of inactivity and perform PA could be better sleepers, which might contribute to a lower severity of the disease. It is noteworthy that meeting bouted PA recommendations is associated with better SQ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resting heart rate (RHR) is associated with arterial stiffness, inflammation, and cardiovascular (CV) and all-cause mortality in the general population and in patients at high CV risk. We assessed the association of RHR with arterial stiffness and low-grade inflammation (LGI) in a cross-sectional study that included 101 women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without a history of CV disease or arrhythmia or who were under treatment that may cause bradycardia. Pulse wave velocity (PWV; a measure of arterial stiffness), RHR, and markers of LGI (ie, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment index) were measured. The patients with the highest RHR (quartile 4; mean RHR = 87.2 bpm) had a PWV 0.61 m/s (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08-1.14; P =.024) greater than patients with the lowest RHR (quartile 1; RHR = 63.0 bpm), independent of age, systolic blood pressure, disease activity, smoking, and being physically inactive. Similarly, patients with the highest RHR (quartile 4) showed a significantly less favorable clustered LGI index than patients in quartile 1 (b = .58; 95% CI: 0.212-0.948; P = .002). Higher RHR is associated with greater arterial stiffness and LGI in women with SLE. Further research to determine the prognostic value of RHR in this population is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to examine the association of cardiorespiratory fitness with arterial stiffness in women with systemic lupus erythematosus; (ii) to assess the potential interaction of cardiorespiratory fitness with age on arterial stiffness in this population. Materials and methods: A total of 49 women with systemic lupus erythematosus (mean age 41.3 [standard deviation 13.8] years) and clinical stability during the previous 6 months were included in the study. Arterial stiffness was assessed through pulse wave velocity (Mobil‐O‐Graph® 24 hours pulse wave velocity monitor). Cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated with the Siconolfi step test and the 6‐minute walk test. Results: Cardiorespiratory fitness was inversely associated with pulse wave velocity in crude analyses (P < .05), although this relationship was attenuated when age and other cardiovascular risk factors were controlled. There was a cardiorespiratory fitness × age interaction effect on pulse wave velocity, regardless of the test used to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness (P < .001 for the Siconolfi step test; P = .005 for the 6‐minute walk test), indicating that higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with a lower increase in pulse wave velocity per each year increase in age. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that cardiorespiratory fitness might attenuate the age‐related arterial stiffening in women with systemic lupus erythematosus and might thus contribute to the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in this population. As the cross‐sectional design precludes establishing causal relationships, future clinical trials should confirm or contrast these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:People with fibromyalgia experience a disagreement between patient-reported (i.e., subjective) and performance-based (i.e., objective) status. This study aimed to (i) corroborate the discordance between subjectively and objectively measured physical function and (ii) examine whether catastrophizing (worrying, pain magnifying, and helpless cognitions) and self-efficacy (believing capable to manage pain) are independently associated with this discordance. Methods:This population-based cross-sectional study included 405 women with fibromyalgia and 193 age-matched female controls. Participants completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Chronic Pain Self-efficacy Scale, and physical functioning subscales of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and Short Form-36 (SF-36) health survey. Objective physical function was measured with the Senior Fitness Test battery. Subjective and objective physical functions were expressed as deviation from the general population in standard deviation (SD) units using means andSDof the control group. Results:In fibromyalgia, subjective physical function was worse than objective physical function (p < 0.001). Higher catastrophizing was consistently associated with greater discordance between subjective and objective physical function, while self-efficacy was only significantly associated with this discordance when subjective physical function was assessed by means of the SF-36. Conclusions:Subjective physical function is more impaired than objective physical function in fibromyalgia, yet both are markedly impaired. Catastrophizing cognitions are associated with this discordance. In particular, high catastrophizing may promote a feeling of reduced ability to do meaningful activities of daily living (i.e., restrictions) that people with fibromyalgia are actually able to. Therefore, catastrophizing should be assessed and potentially targeted when focusing on improving physical function in fibromyalgia.Implications for rehabilitationRehabilitation should focus on physical exercise programs to help women with fibromyalgia to improve their reduced physical function.In rehabilitation settings, physical function of people with fibromyalgia should be evaluated by both subjective and objective assessments to fully understand physical functioning and to test the existence of discordance between both assessments.In case of a large discordance between subjective and objective physical function, a physical exercise program might be better complemented with cognitive management techniques to reduce catastrophizing and subjective physical dysfunction.When people with fibromyalgia experience high levels of catastrophizing, subjective assessments seem to be poor indicators of physical function. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study aimed to analyse the association of different components of physical fitness, body composition, cardiometabolic markers and the Mediterranean diet with bone mineral density (BMD) in perimenopausal women, and to test which of these components are independently associated with BMD. The sample comprised 197 perimenopausal women (52.6 ± 4.5 years). Physical fitness was assessed with the “Senior Fitness Test” battery and the handgrip strength and Bruce tests. Fat and lean mass and BMD were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We analysed the markers of metabolic syndrome, C-reactive protein, and components of the Mediterranean diet. Handgrip muscle strength (β = 0.212,P = 0.005), body weight (β = 0.244,P = 0.001), BMI (β = 0.180,P = 0.011) and lean mass (β = 0.379,P < 0.001) were positively associated with BMD. No associations were observed between cardiometabolic markers or the Mediterranean diet with BMD (allP > 0.05). When all relevant indicators of BMD were simultaneously considered, lean mass was the only 1 showing an independent association with BMD (β = 0.392,P < 0.001), explaining 14% of the BMD variability. In conclusion, muscle strength might be a marker of BMD in perimenopausal women. However, lean mass was the only factor independently associated with BMD. Future research to determine whether increasing lean mass through specific exercise-based interventions contributes to increasing BMD is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is a relatively new surgical technique for the treatment of morbid obesity. It is unclear whether the volume of the gastric remnant can expand after surgery as a result of intraluminal pressure maintained over time. If this were the case, the increased volume could affect weight loss and the improvement in comorbidities. This study aims to assess the evolution of residual gastric volume (RGV) during the first year after LSG and its relationship with weight loss. Material and Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 112 patients who underwent LSG from February 2009 to December 2013. In order to measure the RGV after surgery, all patients were evaluated radiologically by an esophagogastroduodenal (EGD) transit at 1 and 12 postoperative months. Results: All patients showed a significant reduction in BMI compared with the preoperative measurement (33.48 ± 5.78 vs. 50.54 ± 6.69 kg/m; p < 0.001). Increased RGV was observed when comparing the results obtained by EGD transit at 1 (68.39 ± 25.89 cm) and 12 postoperative months (122.58 ± 38.76 cm; p < 0.001). There was no association between increase in gastric volume and weight loss at 1-year follow-up ( r = 0.01; p = 0.910). Conclusions: The volume of the gastric remnant increased significantly during the first year after LSG. However, this increase was not associated with weight loss. Further prospective research with longer follow-up periods is needed to confirm or contrast the present results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The aims of this study were 1) to examine potential sex-related differences in major cardiometabolic risk factors among severe/morbid obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 35) individuals; 2) to assess whether severity of obesity is associated with more adverse cardiometabolic risk factors in women and men, and 3) to assess whether being physically active (≥ 500 metabolic equivalents [MET-minutes per week]) may play a role in the association between severity of obesity and the cardiometabolic risk profile. Methods A total of 886 (438 men) obese individuals participated in a population-based cross-sectional study. We categorized participants as grade I (BMI 30–34.99) and grade II/III (BMI ≥ 35) obese. We measured markers of lipid and glucose metabolism, inflammation (high sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP]) blood pressure and renal function, as well as self-reported physical activity. Results Triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-IR, systolic blood pressure and creatinine levels were higher in severe/morbid obese men than women (all, P < 0.05), while women presented higher HDL cholesterol and hs-CRP (P < 0.05) than men. Severe/morbid obesity was associated with higher triglycerides, hs-CRP, insulin and insulin resistance, diastolic blood pressure and higher odds of hypertension than grade I obesity both in women and men (all, P < 0.05). Severe/morbid obese individuals who were physically inactive presented the least favorable cardiometabolic profile (P < 0.05). Conclusions Severe/morbid obesity is associated with more adverse cardiometabolic risk factors both in women and men. Severe/morbid obese men are more affected than women regarding their cardiometabolic profile, although women presented higher inflammation. Physically inactive individuals with severe/morbid obesity had the most adverse clustered cardiometabolic risk profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of this study was to examine the association between physical fitness and depressive symptoms in women with fibromyalgia (FM). We also assessed whether different fitness components present independent relationships with depressive symptoms. Design. Cross-sectional study. Setting. University facilities and FM associations. Subjects. Four hundred and forty-four patients with FM according to the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria. Methods. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Physical fitness (aerobic fitness, muscle strength, flexibility, and motor agility) was assessed using the standardized Senior Fitness Test battery and the handgrip strength test. A standardized composite score for fitness was computed and divided intoquintiles. Results. Overall, the fitness tests presented inverse associations with the total BDI-II score (P<0.05). The patients in the highest fitness quintile had 8.4% lower depressive symptoms than the patients in the lowest fitness quintile (P = 0.014). The odds of severe symptoms of depression were between 3.7% and 16.9% lower for each performance unit in the back-scratch, handgrip, arm-curl, and eight-feet up-and-go tests. When all the fitness tests were simultaneously considered, the back-scratch test was the only one independently associated with the total BDI-II score (P = 0.001; R² = 0.023). Conclusions. Although higher physical fitness was generally associated with lower symptoms of depression in women with FM, the observed associations were somewhat weak and inconsistent, differing from those previously observed in healthy adults. Further research to determine the clinical relevance of the association between physical fitness and depression in FM is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performing intracorporeal anastomoses and sutures is possibly the technique that requires the greater skill in laparoscopy. The emergence of new barbed sutures seems to facilitate the practice, with bariatric surgery (mainly in mixed and malabsorptive techniques) being one of the specialties that can most benefit from them. This review aims to evaluate barbed sutures' use and safety in bariatric surgery. Barbed sutures might facilitate the practice by improving some aspects of surgery such as reproducibility and operative time, although further research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To examine the construct validity of the International FItness Scale (IFIS) (ie, self-reported fitness) against objectively measured physical fitness in women with fibromyalgia and in healthy women; and to study the test-retest reliability of the IFIS in women with fibromyalgia. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Fibromyalgia patient support groups. Participants Women with fibromyalgia (n=413) and healthy women (controls) (n=195) for validity purposes and women with fibromyalgia (n=101) for the reliability study. The total sample was N=709. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Fitness level was both self-reported (IFIS) and measured using performance-based fitness tests. For the reliability study the IFIS was completed on 2 occasions, 1 week apart. Results Women with fibromyalgia who reported average fitness had better measured fitness than those reporting very poor fitness (all P <.001, except 6-minute walk test where P <.05), with similar trends observed in healthy control women. The test-retest reliability of the IFIS, as measured by the average weighted κ, was .45. Conclusions The IFIS was able to identify women with fibromyalgia who had very low fitness and distinguish them from those with higher fitness levels. Furthermore, the IFIS was moderately reliable in women with fibromyalgia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed (1) to assess the validity and reliability of the Borg category-ratio (CR-10) scale for monitoring exercise intensity in women with fibromyalgia (FM) and (2) to examine whether women with FM can discriminate between perceived exertion and exercise-induced pain. Thirty-three women with FM performed two incremental treadmill tests (1 week separated). Heart rate, oxygen uptake, minute ventilation and respiratory quotient were measured. The ratings of perceived exertion (RPE: CR-10 scale) and exercise-induced pain were obtained at each workload. The Spearman’s correlation of RPE with the physiological responses ranged from 0.69 to 0.79. The regression models explained ~50% of the variability of the studied physiological responses. We found “perfect acceptable” agreement in 69% of the observations. Weighted Kappa was 0.66 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59–0.72). There were differences between RPE and pain at workloads 3 (1.50; 95%CI: 0.85–2.16), 4 (2.10; 95%CI: 1.23–2.96), 5 (3.40; 95%CI: 1.29–5.51) and 6 (3.97; 95%CI: 1.61–6.33). The main findings of the present study suggest that the Borg CR-10 scale is valid and moderately reliable for monitoring exercise intensity in women with FM, and these patients were able to discriminate between exertion and exercise-induced pain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of the present study was to assess the association of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with pressure pain sensitivity and clinical pain in women with fibromyalgia (FM). Thirty-one women with FM were included in the study. Pressure pain sensitivity was assessed with an electronic pressure dolorimeter. The average pressure pain threshold (PPT) from the 18 FM-related tender points and the tender points count (TPC) were recorded. Clinical pain was assessed on a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS; from the FM impact questionnaire). The patients performed an incremental treadmill test, which consisted in six increasing workloads. Gas exchange was continuously monitored, and peak oxygen uptake (as measure of CRF) was recorded. Pairwise correlation and multiple linear regression were used to examine the association of CRF with PPT and VAS, and binary logistic regression assessed the odds of having <18 positive tender points as a function of CRF. The correlations of CRF with the average PPT and VAS were 0.355, ( P < 0.001) and 0.058 ( P > 0.05), respectively. Regression analyses revealed that CRF was associated with the PPT ( B = 0.093; 95 % CI 0.064-0.122; P < 0.001; R = 0.306) and TPC (OR 1.51; 95 % CI 1.30-1.75; P < 0.001) but not with VAS ( B = 0.068; 95 % CI −0.061-0.197; P > 0.05). The findings of this study suggest that CRF is associated with pressure pain sensitivity but not with clinical pain in women with FM. Further longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to determine whether CRF could be involved in some mechanisms of pain processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]