Biomedical subjects

C B Vandenakker

Publications and source records attributed to C B Vandenakker.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Menopause and aging with disability.

Aging involves change and adaptation to change. The normal or usual changes of aging often have significantly greater impact on an individual whose disability has limited his or her physical or socioeconomic reserves. The aging process itself may be accelerated by overuse and compensatory mechanisms. The changes of aging have unique features in damaged body systems that exhibit physiologic adaptations. The changes of aging therefore often result in secondary impairments, leading to secondary disability. New adaptations or repeated rehabilitation are needed to regain the equilibrium among biologic, psychosocial, and environmental influences. Disabled women do not seem to have a significantly different experience of menopause from other women, but postmenopausal changes-accelerated bone loss and increased risk of heart disease-do appear to carry greater risk in those with mobility impairment. Hormone replacement therapy has both greater potential benefit and greater potential risks. Review of these issues makes evident the great need for research in the area of aging with disability, improvement in physician and consumer education, and future health care planning.

Aging↗

PubMed1985

Muscle blood flow patterns during exercise in partially curarized rats.

We studied the distribution of blood flow within and among muscles of partially curarized (40-100 micrograms/kg body wt) rats during preexercise and at 1 min of low-speed treadmill exercise (15 m/min). Glycogen loss in the deep red muscles and parts of muscles was significantly reduced in the curarized animals during exercise, indicating the fibers in these muscles were recruited to a lesser extent and/or had lower metabolisms than fibers in the same muscles of control rats. However, elevations in blood flow in the red muscles of the curarized rats were as great or greater than those in the control rats. Thus reduced recruitment and/or metabolism of the deep red muscle fibers of the curarized animals was not accompanied by reduced blood flow. These findings suggest a dissociation between red fiber metabolism and blood flow in the curarized rats during the 1st min of slow treadmill exercise and indicate that release of vasodilator substances or local physical factors associated with muscle fiber activity are not solely responsible for the initial hyperemia during exercise.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Delayed-onset muscular soreness and plasma CPK and LDH activities after downhill running.

We tested the hypothesis that running down an incline, during which muscles primarily perform eccentric contractions, causes greater delayed-onset muscle soreness and greater increases in plasma enzyme activities than does running on the level, during which muscles perform similar amounts of concentric and eccentric contractions. Subjective sensations of muscular soreness and plasma activities of CPK and LDH were assessed in seven subjects at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h after 45 min of running (one time on the level and a second time down a 10% incline). Following downhill running (57% of VO2max), significant delayed-onset soreness was experienced in gluteal, quadricep, anterior leg, and posterior leg muscles, and plasma CPK (but not LDH) activity was significantly increased (351% at 24 h). In contrast, following level running (78% of VO2max), no statistically significant soreness occurred in any muscle group, and plasma CPK and LDH activities were not elevated. Thus, our results generally support the hypothesis. Secondarily, we investigated whether delayed-onset soreness with downhill running is accompanied by increases in peripheral white blood cell counts suggestive of inflammation. No such association was observed. We suggest that both delayed-onset muscular soreness and plasma enzyme activities are affected by structural changes in muscle tissue resulting from eccentric contractions.

Adult↗