To evaluate the level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), life satisfaction, and their present awareness of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program in people with cardiovascular diseases.
A questionnaire survey was completed by 53 patients (mean age, 65.7±11.6 years; 33 men and 20 women) with unstable angina, myocardial infarction, or heart failure. The questionnaire included the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (MOS SF-36), life domain satisfaction measure (LDSM), and the awareness and degree of using CR program.
The average scores of physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) were 47.7±18.5 and 56.5±19.5, respectively. There were significant differences in physical role (F=4.2, p=0.02), vitality (F=10.7, p<0.001), mental health (F=15.9, p<0.001), PCS (F=3.6, p=0.034), and MCS (F=11.9, p<0.001) between disease types. The average LDSM score was 4.7±1.5. Age and disease duration were negatively correlated with multiple HRQoL areas (p<0.05). Monthly income, ejection fraction, and LDSM were positively correlated with several MOS SF-36 factors (p<0.05). However, the number of modifiable risk factors had no significant correlation with medication. Thirty-seven subjects (69.8%) answered that they had not previously heard about CR program. Seventeen patients (32.1%) reported that they were actively participating in CR program. Most people said that a reasonable cost of CR was less than 100,000 Korean won per month.
CR should focus on improving the physical components of quality of life. In addition, physicians should actively promote CR to cardiovascular disease patients to expand the reach of CR program.
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To assess the reliability of quantitative muscle ultrasonography (US) in healthy subjects and to evaluate the correlation between quantitative muscle US findings and electrodiagnostic study results in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The clinical significance of quantitative muscle US in CTS was also assessed.
Twenty patients with CTS and 20 age-matched healthy volunteers were recruited. All control and CTS subjects underwent a bilateral median and ulnar nerve conduction study (NCS) and quantitative muscle US. Transverse US images of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM) were obtained to measure muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), thickness, and echo intensity (EI). EI was determined using computer-assisted, grayscale analysis. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability for quantitative muscle US in control subjects, and differences in muscle thickness, CSA, and EI between the CTS patient and control groups were analyzed. Relationships between quantitative US parameters and electrodiagnostic study results were evaluated.
Quantitative muscle US had high inter-rater and intra-rater reliability in the control group. Muscle thickness and CSA were significantly decreased, and EI was significantly increased in the APB of the CTS group (all p<0.05). EI demonstrated a significant positive correlation with latency of the median motor and sensory NCS in CTS patients (p<0.05).
These findings suggest that quantitative muscle US parameters may be useful for detecting muscle changes in CTS. Further study involving patients with other neuromuscular diseases is needed to evaluate peripheral muscle change using quantitative muscle US.
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To investigate the effects of body mass composition and cushion type on seat-interface pressure in spinal cord injured (SCI) patients and healthy subjects.
Twenty SCI patients and control subjects were included and their body mass composition measured. Seat-interface pressure was measured with participants in an upright sitting posture on a wheelchair with three kinds of seat cushion and without a seat cushion. We also measured the pressure with each participant in three kinds of sitting postures on each air-filled cushion. We used repeated measure ANOVA, the Mann-Whitney test, and Spearman correlation coefficient for statistical analysis.
The total skeletal muscle mass and body water in the lower extremities were significantly higher in the control group, whilst body fat was significantly higher in the SCI group. However, the seat-interface pressure and body mass composition were not significantly correlated in both groups. Each of the three types of seat cushion resulted in significant reduction in the seat-interface pressure. The SCI group had significantly higher seatinterface pressure than the control group regardless of cushion type or sitting posture. The three kinds of sitting posture did not result in a significant reduction of seat-interface pressure.
We confirmed that the body mass composition does not have a direct effect on seat-interface pressure. However, a reduction of skeletal muscle mass and body water can influence the occurrence of pressure ulcers. Furthermore, in order to minimize seat-interface pressure, it is necessary to apply a method fitted to each individual rather than a uniform method.
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