Summary and application of the WHO 2020 physical activity guidelines for patients with essential hypertension in primary care

Lowering blood pressure by exercise: investigating the effect of sweating

High blood pressure (hypertension), is a common medical condition, affecting millions of people and is associated with significant health risks. Exercise has been suggested to manage hypertension by inducing sweating and the corresponding loss of sodium and water from the body.Thus, a variety of epidemiological and clinical studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between sweating and exercise-induced blood pressure reduction and its impacts on hypertension. The mechanisms underlying exercise-induced blood pressure reduction are complex and still not fully understood. However, several pathways have been suggested, including the loss of sodium and water through sweat, a decrease in peripheral resistance, and an improvement in endothelial function in the blood vessels. The decrease in sodium and water content in the body associated with sweating may result in a reduction in blood volume and thus a decrease in blood pressure. Moreover, the reduction in peripheral resistance is thought to be mediated by the activation of the nitric oxide synthase pathway and the release of vasodilators such as prostacyclin and bradykinin, which lead to vasodilation and, thus, a reduction in blood pressure. In conclusion, exercise-induced sweating and consequent sodium and water loss appear to be a reliable biological link to the blood pressure-reducing effects of exercise in hypertensive individuals. Additionally, the mechanisms underlying exercise-induced blood pressure reduction are complex and involve several biological pathways in the cardiovascular system. Therefore, understanding the role of sweat production in blood pressure management is important for developing effective exercise interventions to prevent and manage hypertension.

Outcomes of physical exercises on initiation, progression, and treatment of breast cancer

The emergence of drug resistance is a substantial obstacle to the effective management of breast cancer, which is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. To facilitate the development of targeted therapies that can effectively overcome drug resistance, it is crucial to possess a comprehensive comprehension of the molecular mechanisms that underpin resistance to breast cancer treatment. So far, considerable progress has been made in the field of exercise-oncology research and overcome drug resistance, specifically about breast cancer. Evidence has suggested that participation in physical activity is correlated with a decrease in reappearance and fatality rates of breast cancer patients. It has been reported that participation in physical activity can yield favorable outcomes in the prevention, treatment, and post-treatment of breast cancer. An increasing body of empirical evidence suggests that participation in physical activity can alter diverse biological mechanisms, potentially augmenting breast cancer treatments' efficacy. Comparing increased physical activity versus reduced physical activity in breast cancer patients who received chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery supported the significance of exercise in comprehensive care strategies to enhance overall health and treatment efficacy. Furthermore, previous studies have reported that physical activity can enhance the efficacy of breast cancer treatments. This review provides the current literature regarding the influence of physical activity on the occurrence and progression of breast cancer.

Physical Activity with Sports Scientist (PASS) programme to promote physical activity among patients with non-communicable diseases: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial protocol

Physical activity (PA) effectively prevents and treats non-communicable diseases in clinical settings. PA promotion needs to be more consistent, especially in busy primary care. Sports scientists have the potential to support PA promotion in primary care. The Physical Activity with Sports Scientist (PASS) programme is created to personalise PA promotion led by a sports scientist in a primary care clinic. A pragmatic randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups will be conducted at a family medicine clinic. Physically inactive participants aged 35-70 years who have type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension or dyslipidaemia will be invited. The control group (n=60) will receive usual care. The intervention group (n=60) will receive the PASS programme and usual care. The PASS programme will consist of a tailored PA prescription after the physician's consultation at the first visit and monthly phone follow-ups. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants who have achieved the PA goal defined as aerobic activity (≥150 min/week of moderate to vigorous-intensity PA), muscle-strengthening activity (≥2 days/week of moderate or greater intensity) and multicomponent PA (≥2 days/week of moderate or greater intensity). Secondary outcomes are body composition and physical fitness. The primary and secondary outcomes will be measured and compared between the control and intervention groups at visit 1 (month 0: baseline measurements), visit 2 (months 3-4: follow-up measurements), visit 3 (months 6-8: end-point measurements) and visit 4 (months 9-12: continuing measurements). The study protocol was registered with the Thai Clinical Trials Registry. Trial registration number: TCTR20240314001.

Prevalence of physical activity counseling in primary care: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

This systematic review aimed to summarize and evaluate the prevalence of physical activity (PA) counseling in primary care.

Methods

Five databases (CINAHL Complete, Embase, Medline, PsycInfo, and Web of Science) were searched. Primary epidemiological studies on PA counseling in primary care were included. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for studies reporting prevalence data was used to assess the quality of studies. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021284570).

Results

After duplicate removal, 4990 articles were screened, and 120 full-text articles were then assessed. Forty studies were included, with quality assessment scores ranging from 5/9 to 9/9. The pooled prevalence of PA counseling based on 35 studies (199830 participants) was 37.9% (95% CI 31.2 to 44.6). The subgroup analyses showed that the prevalence of PA counseling was 33.1% (95% CI: 22.6 to 43.7) in females (10 studies), 32.1% (95% CI: 22.6 to 41.7) in males (10 studies), 65.5% (95% CI: 5.70 to 74.1) in people with diabetes mellitus (6 studies), 41.6% (95% CI: 34.9 to 48.3) in people with hypertension (5 studies), and 56.8% (95% CI: 31.7 to 82.0) in people with overweight or obesity (5 studies). All meta-analyses showed high levels of heterogeneity (I2=93% to 100%).

Conclusion

The overall prevalence of PA counseling in primary care was low. The high levels of heterogeneity suggest variability in the perspectives and practices of PA counseling in primary care. PA counseling should be standardized to ensure its optimum effectiveness in primary care.