Aptidão física de policiais militares do batalhão de operações especiais da cidade de Santa Maria – RS

Objetivo: verificar a aptidão física relacionada à saúde de Policiais Militares das Operações Especiais (BOE) de Santa Maria - RS. Método: avaliou-se 87 Policiais do BOE, do sexo masculino com idade média de 29,19 ±6,27 anos. Utilizaram-se as variáveis: flexibilidade, percentual de gordura, resistência muscular localizada e resistência cardiorrespiratória. Para análise, utilizou o teste de normalidade de Shapiro Wilk e coeficiente de Correlação de Pearson. Resultados: os resultados obtidos apresentam percentual de gordura acima do normal, diminuição de flexibilidade, resistência cardiorrespiratória regular e resistência muscular localizada regular. Considerações finais: é preciso melhorar a aptidão física relacionada à saúde destes Policiais, principalmente as variáveis flexibilidade e resistência cardiorrespiratória, a fim de aprimorar a aptidão física. Também necessita-se desenvolver nestes policias do BOE um programa de atividade física, visando à manutenção das variáveis da aptidão física relacionada à saúde.

Cenário da reabilitação cardíaca no centro do estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Objetivo: identificar os programas de reabilitação cardíaca existentes em Santa Maria, na região central do Rio Grande do Sul e compará-los a um serviço de um hospital referência e observar se as condutas estão de acordo com a Diretriz da Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia vigente. Método: estudo exploratório, analítico descritivo e comparativo, do tipo levantamento epidemiológico de caráter quantitativo. No período de agosto a outubro de 2015. Resultados: a predominância do sexo masculino e da variação de 42 a 78 anos de idade. Os serviços A e C obtiveram maior índice em relação a IAM e ICC, ao contrário de C em que prevaleceu a CRM e as demais doenças cardiovasculares. Considerações finais: os serviços de reabilitação cardíaca de Santa Maria versus um hospital de referência estão no mesmo nível de qualidade perante as recomendações descritas na última literatura vigente, sendo um ponto positivo para uma cidade de médio porte como Santa Maria.

Short-term inspiratory muscle training potentiates the benefits of aerobic and resistance training in patients undergoing CABG in phase II cardiac rehabilitation program

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficiency of short-term inspiratory muscle training program associated with combined aerobic and resistance exercise on respiratory muscle strength, functional capacity and quality of life in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass and are in the phase II cardiac rehabilitation program.

METHODS

A prospective, quasi-experimental study with 24 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass and were randomly assigned to two groups in the Phase II cardiac rehabilitation program: inspiratory muscle training program associated with combined training (aerobic and resistance) group (GCR + IMT, n=12) and combined training with respiratory exercises group (GCR, n=12), over a period of 12 weeks, with two sessions per week. Before and after intervention, the following measurements were obtained: maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures (PImax and PEmax), peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2) and quality of life scores. Data were compared between pre- and post-intervention at baseline and the variation between the pre- and post-phase II cardiac rehabilitation program using the Student's t-test, except the categorical variables, which were compared using the Chi-square test. Values of P<0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Compared to GCR, the GCR + IMT group showed larger increments in PImax (P<0.001), PEmax (P<0.001), peak VO2 (P<0.001) and quality of life scores (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrated that the addition of inspiratory muscle training, even when applied for a short period, may potentiate the effects of combined aerobic and resistance training, becoming a simple and inexpensive strategy for patients who underwent coronary artery bypass and are in phase II cardiac rehabilitation.

Association between the ankle-brachial index, intermittent claudication, and physical activity level: what is the influence on the functional capacity of patients with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease?

Background

Patients with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease have a poor functional capacity; however, the influence of association among intermittent claudication (IC), abnormal ankle–brachial index (ABI), and physical activity level on functional capacity of these patients has not been fully studied.

Objective

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the association between the ABI, IC, and physical activity level, and the influence of these variables on the functional capacity of patients with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease seen in a reference cardiology outpatient clinic in Southern Brazil. The secondary objective was to assess the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in this sample of patients.

Patients and methods

This was a prospective cross-sectional study in which 162 consecutive patients were evaluated and classified into three groups according to their ABI: normal ABI (n=104, values between 1.00 and 1.40); borderline PAD (n=23, values between 0.91 and 1.00); and patients with PAD (n=35, ≤0.90). The presence of IC was assessed using the Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire. The level of physical activity was assessed by the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and functional capacity was assessed by the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD).

Results

The prevalence of PAD was 21.6% in the total sample. The 6MWD showed strong correlation with the absence of IC (r=0.785; P<0.001), moderate correlation with age (r=−0.347; P<0.001), and weak correlations with IPAQ scores (r=0.164; P=0.038) and ABI (r=0.216; P=0.006). Age, ABI, and absence of IC were independently associated with the outcome (P=0.001, P=0.001, and P=0.028, respectively).

Conclusion

The current study demonstrates that 6MWD is associated with IPAQ scores, ABI, and absence of IC. Age, ABI and absence of IC were independently associated with functional capacity in patients with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease.