Biomedical subjects

L Noreau

Publications and source records attributed to L Noreau.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1992

Effects on plasma lipoproteins and endogenous sex hormones of substituting lean white fish for other animal-protein sources in diets of postmenopausal women.

A crossover 8-wk study was conducted to compare the effects on plasma lipoproteins and endogenous sex hormones of lean white fish (LWF) and of beef, pork, egg, and milk (BPEM) within a prudent diet in postmenopausal women. Diets provided 8050 kJ as 19% proteins, 52% carbohydrates, 29% lipids (P/M/S (proportion of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fatty acids, 1.1:1:1) and approximately 210 mg cholesterol/d. The LWF diet compared with the BPEM diet significantly induced higher concentrations of plasma cholesterol, LDL-apo B, HDL-C, and HDL3-C, indicating that incorporation of LWF as a substitute for BPEM in a low-fat, high-P:S diet offers little benefit with regard to plasma cholesterol and LDL-apoB in postmenopausal women. Moreover, the LWF diet significantly increased plasma SHBG, suggesting that the divergent effects of substituting LWF for other animal-protein sources on plasma cholesterol and lipoproteins may be partly mediated by variations in plasma sex-hormone status.

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PubMed1991

Physiological responses to maximal exercise on arm cranking and wheelchair ergometer with paraplegics.

This study describes the responses of 20 paraplegic athletes (mean age: 26.8 +/- 1.6 years) to a continuous incremental workload test until exhaustion on an arm cranking ergometer (ACE) and on a wheelchair ergometer (WCE). Both ergometers used the same electromagnetic braking device allowing a fair comparison between results. Tests were conducted at a 24 hour interval at the same time of the day. Oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), workload (W), blood pressure (BP), Borg index, and mechanical efficiency (ME) were measured at every minute during the effort and the cool down periods of both tests. The purpose of this study was to analyse the different responses obtained on ACE and on WCE during maximal effort by paraplegics, and also to determine which ergometer permits the higher ME. Results indicate that paraplegics reached the same max HR on ACE and on WCE (97% of the predicted max HR). The lack of significant difference (p less than 0.05) between ACE and WCE in terms of maximal values of VO2, VE and HR suggests that the subjects reached their maximal capacity on each test regardless of the type of ergometer. Nevertheless, W max (in Watts) was 26% higher on ACE than on WCE. Maximal ME values were respectively 16% and 11.6% on ACE and WCE. Results suggest that ergometers and protocol used in this study are appropriate to measure physiological responses of paraplegic athletes during arm cranking and wheelchair exercise without excessive or early arm fatigue.

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PubMed1989

Body mass index as a discriminant function among health-related variables and risk factors.

A group of 206 subjects (30-55 years) were studied with the objective of quantifying the relationships between fitness indicators (relative body weight (BMI), aerobic power, muscular endurance), health indicators and risk factors, (appraised age, cost of health services consumed, blood pressure (SBP and DBP), blood lipids (CHO and HDL), cigarette smoking). BMI was significantly correlated with the risk indicators in the male sample (.302 less than or equal to r less than or equal to .364) and in the female sample (.217 less than or equal to r less than or equal to .521). All coefficients were in the direction of the established biological assumption as concerns hazards to health. The discriminant analysis revealed that in the total group of men, 77% (p less than or equal to .001) of the subjects could be classified either in high or low BMI (greater than Q75 or less than or equal to Q25) on the basis of the scores in SBP, HDL, HDL/CHO. In the subgroup of women greater than or equal to 40 years, statistically significant classification occurred in 100% of the cases (p less than or equal to .001) on the basis of DBP, CHO, HDL/CHO, NCIG. The results indicate that BMI is a fitness determinant which is valid, convenient and easy to use in the detection of unfavorable health indices and when clinical intervention is justified.

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PubMed1984

[Ventricular function in the normal subject and the coronary patient following exercise].

The effect of acute exercise stress on cardiac function varies between individuals. This variation can be attributed to differences in the degree of physical fitness, quality of coronary circulation and myocardial oxygenation and contractility. Extended long term physical training regimes can induce chronic modifications of cardiac function in both healthy individuals and subjects with coronary artery disease. These modifications are evident at rest and during submaximal and maximal work levels. It is not yet clear however, that exercise training induces a hypertrophic response of the ventricular walls in either healthy subjects or coronary patients although it is generally accepted that the functional capacity of the myocardial tissue is improved in both cases. The present report reviews recent data regarding the modifications of cardiac function in both normal healthy subjects and cardiac patients following exercise training.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of a modified dance-based exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness, psychological state and health status of persons with rheumatoid arthritis.

Cardiorespiratory function and exercise tolerance appear very limited in persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Many studies have demonstrated that aerobic exercise training is beneficial to prevent physical deconditioning without inducing adverse effects on an individual's joints and general health. The present study was conducted to demonstrate that a dance-based exercise program is a safe and efficient activity to improve physical fitness and psychological state in persons with RA. A group of 19 persons (mean age, 49.3 +/- 13 yr) participated in a 12-wk exercise program (twice weekly), whereas 10 persons (mean age, 49.4 +/- 12 yr) served as controls. Health status, use of medication, joint pain and swelling, physical fitness, activity of daily living and psychological state were assessed at baseline, after the 12-wk training program and 6 mo after the end of the program. Exercise training induced a mean improvement of 13% in aerobic power, with the highest values reaching 40%. No significant changes were observed in joint status, even though the count of painful joints tended to decrease in the exercise group. Positive changes in depression, anxiety, fatigue and tension were observed after the 12-wk exercise program. These findings provide some evidences in favor of aerobic exercise in individuals with RA. Furthermore, it is of primary interest to note that a weight-bearing activity with limited ground impacts do not provoke short-term adverse effects on joint status. Further studies, however, are required to determine the long-term effect of weight-bearing exercise on the health status of individuals with RA.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Dance-based exercise program in rheumatoid arthritis. Feasibility in individuals with American College of Rheumatology functional class III disease.

Many studies have demonstrated that aerobic exercise training is beneficial to prevent physical deconditioning in persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without inducing adverse effects on individual's joints and general health. After significant results in individuals with RA (Functional Class I and II), the present study was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of a modified dance-based exercise program to improve the physical fitness and psychological state of persons with RA (Class III). Ten (10) female subjects (mean age, 54 +/- 10 years) participated in an eight-week exercise program (twice weekly). Health status, use of medication, joint pain and swelling, cardiorespiratory fitness, activity of daily living, and psychological state were assessed before and after the training program. A high level of participation has been maintained by the participants (mean = 14.8/16 sessions). Most of them were able to perform a maximal exercise test on treadmill and reached 90% of the predicted heart rate at maximal exercise. No significant gain in aerobic power was observed for the group as a whole, but four subjects showed improvements of between 10% and 20% of their cardiorespiratory fitness. Positive changes in depression, anxiety, fatigue, and tension were observed after the eight-week exercise program. No deleterious effect on the health status was observed. These findings provide some evidences as to the feasibility of submitting individuals with RA to a modified dance-exercise program. Further studies, however, are required to determine the long-term effect of weight-bearing exercise on the health status of individuals with RA.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Secondary impairments after spinal cord injury: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of secondary impairments among individuals with long-standing spinal cord injury in Quebec and the potential relationships between these impairments and several variables. DESIGN: A review of 2,200 medical files was conducted to determine the target population; 976 patients were selected randomly and mailed questionnaires. The results were based on 482 individuals with spinal cord injury who returned the completed questionnaire. The questionnaire included 14 subsections, such as sociodemographic, medical, psychosocial, and environmental information. The medical section, including the type and level of lesion and the presence of secondary impairments, was analyzed. RESULTS: Urinary tract infection, spasticity, and hypotension were the most frequently reported secondary impairments, regardless of the severity of injury. Relationships between the prevalence of secondary impairments and the duration of injury, as well as perceived health status, were observed. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to describe secondary impairments after long-standing spinal cord injury in Quebec. Patients with spinal cord injury still present a high prevalence of secondary impairments many years after their rehabilitation, despite preventive education or medical follow-up visits. Further studies are required to determine the specific impact that these impairments have on the patients' social role and their quality-of-life.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Aging and technology: physical condition in a post-industrial society].

Compulsory retirement, normally set at 65, may be considered discriminatory by people who wish to continue in their current employment to a greater age. The aging process sometimes limits the performance of daily work, particularly in occupations that demand a high rate of energy expenditure. However, this is not a general rule; there are many individuals older than 65 years (particularly those who have remained physically active) who can still carry out moderate physical tasks without fatigue. This article reviews various aspects of occupation, including the evaluation of work performance, and the beneficial effects of programs designed to increase functional capacity in the context of compulsory retirement. Biological age seems a useful criterion in deciding upon the appropriateness of mandatory retirement when reviewing individual cases. The authors recommend adopting a form of health hazard appraisal and measures of physical condition (including aerobic power, muscular strength and reaction time) as a part of such an evaluation, while recognizing the need for more precise methods of identifying those who can remain in gainful employment beyond the age of 65 years.

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PubMedDate not supplied

[Exercise test before prosthesis fitting in amputees with vascular insufficiency].

93 subjects (age = 65 +/- 10 years) with lower limb amputation ensuing from peripheral vascular disease performed a graded exercise test on arm cranking ergometer with an electromagnetic braking to assess their physical fitness and cardiac condition before starting a prosthetic training programme. The protocol was continuous with a workload increment of 10 watts every two minutes. Heart rate, blood pressure and ECG were recorded at each stage. Reasons to stop the test were 1) arm muscle fatigue, 2) reaching of target heart rate, 3) cardiovascular abnormalities. At the end of the test, the mean percentage of maximum heart rate was 53%, 92%, and 66% for each of these reasons, respectively (p less than .0001). Results showed that subjects who received a prosthesis had a higher exercise capacity than those who did not get a prosthesis (39.0 watts vs 18.5 watts, p less than 0.001). Furthermore, maximal oxygen uptake (4.4 METs vs 3.0 METs, p less than 0.001) and reached maximal heart rate (131 vs 110 bpm, p less than .005) were both higher in subjects of prosthesis group. Results suggest that a graded exercise test at the beginning of prosthetic training allows a rehabilitation team 1) to predict the success of the prosthetic process and 2) to identify subjects for which this process could increase the risks of health problems.

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