No time to exercise? No problem. Intense interval training could slash hours off your workout

"People who complain they have no time to exercise may soon need another excuse. Some experts say intense exercise sessions could help people squeeze an entire week's workout into less than an hour. Those regimens - also called interval training - were originally developed for Olympic athletes and thought to be too strenuous for normal people. But in recent years, studies in older people and those with health problems suggest many more people might be able to handle it. If true, that could revolutionize how officials advise people to exercise - and save millions of people hours in the gym every week. It is also a smarter way to exercise, experts say. "High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise," said Jan Helgerud, an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "This is like finding a new pill that works twice as well ... we should immediately throw out the old way of exercising." Studies on intense training have been published in sports medicine journals and have largely been based on young, healthy people. Experts say more studies are needed on how older and less fit populations handle this type of exercise before it can be recommended more widely"

Slimming sixties not a myth (UK)

"Despite fewer visits to gyms and a love of high-fat foods, people in the 1960s were slimmer simply because they were more active, the government says. Rates of obesity in English adults have risen from 1-2% in the 1960s to around 26% today, figures show. Yet in 2010, overweight adults are far less likely to try to lose weight, a repeat of a survey done in 1967 showed. Plus adults in the 1960s did more housework and used the car less, the Department of Health said. The 1967 survey of 1,900 adults found nine in ten people had attempted to lose weight in the past year compared with 57% of 1,500 adults questioned in 2010. Forty years ago, only 7% of those who considered themselves to be overweight had failed to do anything about it compared with 43% of today's adults. And in 1967, 66% of those surveyed said they wanted to lose up to a stone compared with 46% in 2010"

Cardiac Rehab sponsors mall walk (USA)

"Nearly 200 walkers gathered recently at Marion Centre (Ohio) in recognition and celebration of National Cardiac Rehabilitation Week and National Heart Month. This annual event, sponsored by Marion General Hospital's Cardiac Rehab, invites the public to join current and past cardiac rehab patients for a one-mile walk inside the mall. Sporting T-shirts that proclaimed "Cardiac Rehabilitation ... Building a Strong Heart," friends, family and hospital staff members celebrated the annual event in spite of cold temperatures and blowing snow. "There are so many steps that we can choose to make in improving our heart health" states Brenda Estes, manager of cardiac rehab. "Adding walking to our exercise regimen is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to get out and moving." For more information about Marion General's Cardiac Rehab program, please contact any member of the staff at 740-375-6059"

Exploiting the body's ability to fight a heart attack

"Scientists trying to find a way to better help patients protect themselves against harm from a heart attack are taking their cues from cardiac patients. The work has its roots in a perplexing curiosity that physicians have long observed in their patients: When faced with a heart attack, people who have had a previous one oftentimes fare better than patients who have never had one. Scientists have been working for 25 years to understand one reason why – a process known as ischemic preconditioning, where a temporary restriction of blood flow somehow strengthens cardiac tissues down the road. In the latest research, published online February 25 in the journal Circulation Research, a group led by Paul Brookes, Ph.D., and graduate student Andrew Wojtovich at the University of Rochester Medical Center have developed new methods in the effort to track down one of the key molecular agents involved. That molecule, known as the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel, or mKATP, is central to ischemic preconditioning, but it has proven elusive for scientists seeking to isolate and describe it"

Simple, cheap procedure can limit size of heart attack: Researchers (Canada)

"Simply blowing up a blood pressure cuff around a person's arm when they're having a heart attack can reduce the amount of permanent heart muscle damage by up to half, an international team of researchers co-ordinated from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto has found. Although it goes by the rather unwieldy name "remote ischemic preconditioning" the technique, developed by a doctor at SickKids, is exquisitely simple, cheap and apparently safe. It involves inflating a standard blood-pressure cuff on the upper arm of someone having a heart attack for five minutes, and deflating it for another five minutes, repeating the cycle four times. The procedure exploits the most powerful, inborn protective mechanism the human body uses to protect its tissues from harm. Cutting off blood flow in the arm in short, brief bursts, then restoring it again, causes the body to release a substance in the blood that sends a message around the entire body that something bad is about to happen. It warns and protects the heart from subsequent damage by triggering changes in heart cells so that they can better resist the lack of blood flow. It also makes white blood cells react less aggressively, causing less damage after the heart attack. In a study published in this week's issue of the prestigious medical journal the Lancet, an international team co-ordinated by SickKids showed that, when done by a paramedic en route to hospital and a catheterization lab, ischemic preconditioning can reduce the size of heart attacks by 30 to 50 per cent"

CMAJ - 23 February 2010

The Canadian Medical Association Journal - 23 February 2010, Volume 182, Issue 3, is now available online

Heart Rate Monitors for Exercise by Rick Stene

Being regularly moderately physically active has been shown to help prevent a number of health problems. (Heart Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Osteoporosis, etc…) Simply put physical activity is a cornerstone for good health.

To achieve these health benefits people are encouraged to be active most days of the week (5 or more days). Additionally people are encouraged to exercise at an intensity that makes the body feel like it is working (breathing deeper and more quickly) but is still comfortable (no discomfort and not puffing). This is often referred to as a training zone. For most people exercise is recommended at 40% to 70% of their heart rate reserve. (Heart rate reserve = maximal heart rate – resting heart rate).

The use of heart rate range to gauge this training intensity has been widely used to assist people in knowing whether their exercise intensity is appropriate to gain all the health benefits. Exercise intensity is based on the following physiologic principle: as exercise intensity increases, oxygen consumption and heart rate also increase in a linear relationship. Obviously heart rate is easier to measure than oxygen consumption. For this reason you often hear of people checking their pulse to see if they are exercising at the correct exercise intensity. A heart rate monitor shows you your heart rate as you exercise. This provides instant, accurate feed back on how intensely you are exercising. It also allows you to move from one type of activity to another and still maintain a proper exercise intensity. (I.e. walking to bike, rowing, gardening etc.)

One of the limiting factors for heart rate monitors for Cardiac Rehabilitation is the need to establish a maximum heart rate in order to calculate a desirable heart rate range. This usually requires a recent Exercise Test (Stress Test). Additionally any changes in medications (particularly Beta Blockers –Atenolol or Metroprolol) may alter the heart rate range and a new range may need to be re-established. Rick Stene is Manager, Chronic Disease Management-Exercise, Saskatoon Health Region

Senate report: Avandia maker knew of cardiac risks (USA)

"A Senate report said Saturday that drug maker GlaxoSmithKline knew of possible heart attack risks tied to Avandia, its diabetes medication, years before such evidence became public. Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Chuck Grassley, the committee's ranking Republican, released the report, which follows a two-year inquiry, on Saturday. They are also asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration why it allowed a clinical trial of Avandia to continue even after the agency estimated that the drug caused 83,000 heart attacks between 1999 and 2007. The agency ordered a warning to be included on Avandia's label in 2007, saying that it might increase the risk of heart attacks, though the data on those risk was inconclusive. Soon afterwards Sen. Grassley, one of the FDA's toughest critics in Congress, disclosed that the agency's internal safety experts came within one vote of recommending a withdrawal of Avandia" - Washington Post

A Population-Based Policy and Systems Change Approach to Prevent and Control Hypertension (USA)

"Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is one of the nation's leading causes of death, responsible for roughly one in six deaths among adults annually. Nearly one in three adults has hypertension, which places huge economic demands on the health care system, estimated at $73.4 billion in direct and indirect costs in 2009 alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which leads the federal government’s efforts to reduce the impact of hypertension, asked the Institute of Medicine to identify high-priority areas on which public health organizations and professionals should focus in order to accelerate progress in hypertension reduction and control. In this report, the IOM recommends that the CDC as well as state and local health jurisdictions focus on population-based strategies that can reach large numbers of people and improve the well-being of entire communities. Behavioral and lifestyle interventions - reducing sodium intake, increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, and increasing physical activity - are among the best examples. The report also highlights the need to improve providers' adherence to the treatment guidelines for hypertension, especially in the elderly population, and to encourage patients to take medication consistently by reducing or eliminating the cost of antihypertensive medication"

Exercise helps anxiety in chronic illnesses

"People who are living with chronic illnesses and who are experiencing anxiety would do well to get some exercise, according to a new study published by the Archives of Internal Medicine. Illnesses can trigger anxiety for a variety of reasons. As people become more anxious, they may find it more difficult to focus on their health - and it becomes a vicious cycle. While some may do well taking anti-anxiety medications, researchers have found that exercise training reduces anxiety symptoms. They came to this conclusion after reviewing the medical literature for studies that investigated the connection between exercise in adults with chronic illnesses who generally didn't participate in physical activity. Patients had diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and fibromyalgia, among others. The patients in all the studies were, on average, 50 years old. The exercise programs were done, on average, three times per week for 16 weeks, for an average length of 42 minutes per session. The only disease that wasn't associated with less anxiety in relation to exercise was multiple sclerosis"

Why I love CARG - by Sylvia Power

This month will mark 25 years that Doug and I have been in this program. We began after I had a heart attack in December 1984 and we started walking in February 1985. The group had just moved over from Ellis Hall and Ken Cooper was in charge. The late Dr Firor was our cardiologist.
At that time women were in the minority, but we have proved that we can have a heart attack just as well as the men. We were a small group; perhaps 50 patients. Ken loved to introduce us to each other and encouraged us to support one another. Ken was a Londoner like me and had a great cheery sense of humor.
A year later CARG was formed and after Ken's retirement Rick took over. As you know we have grown in numbers and I must say that I don't think I could be as well as I am today had it not been for the care and concern of our great staff. I survived a quadruple bypass and other major surgery, and then Doug had a heart event as well so we are really committed to coming three times a week.
I can't say enough about the wonderful fellowship which means so much to us and being at the Field House with all our friends is a very important part of our lives. Thanks to all of you.

CARG Newsletter - March 2010

The CARG Newsletter - March 2010 is now available for download or for reading below:

Tiny molecular 'trash' may tell big story about cardiovascular disease risk

"Tiny bits of molecular "trash" found in circulating blood appear to be good predictors of cardiovascular disease and untimely death, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center. The discovery, published online in the April issue of the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, comes from the largest study of its kind for cardiovascular disease, and is the first to identify specific metabolic profiles associated with coronary artery disease, heart attacks and death among patients who have undergone coronary catheterization. The Duke study analyzed metabolites, the molecular debris left over after the body breaks food down into energy sources and building blocks of cells and tissues. Scientists believe metabolites may be useful in diagnosing disease, said Svati Shah, M.D., M.H.S., a cardiologist in the Duke Heart Center, the Duke Center for Human Genetics and the lead author of the study. But the tiny molecules are notoriously hard to identify, quantify and characterize. Shah has been studying metabolic signatures in heart disease for several years and led earlier research showing that metabolic profiles associated with early-onset coronary artery disease can be inherited" - Science Daily

CARG Volunteers of the Year 2010

The CARG Volunteers of the Year awards for 2010 were presented on February 17, 2010 at the pancake breakfast.

Cathy Matlock stated: "Recognition of volunteers in the CARG program started in 2001, starting with Freida Goodhew. In 2002 John argang was chosen as the Volunteer of the Year, followed by Ray Williams and Ethelyne Eichhorn in 2003. In 2004 Phillip Griffin-Warwicke received the honor as did Don campbell in 2005. In 2006 Roland Perras was a deserving recipient of the award, and in 2007 Nestor and Eva Shabits were honored, as was Cathy Matlock in 2008. In 2009 Shirley Patola and Lottie Kear were chosen. This year it is my pleasure to have been asked to choose another Volunteer of the Year. This volunteer can be found walking on the track, and very rarely walking alone because he is usually listening or problem-solving with someone. He has been a strong supporter of the CARG program for the last ten years. He has been a hospital visitor for many many years, and being a hospital visitor is really a gift that few have. He registers people coming in to the education program for the yellow shirts when needed. This volunteer was on the board of directors and served as treasurer. Immaculate records were kept. While on the board he served on many committees and helped make the CARG program better for all of us. He volunteers for many things...he has made up draw tickets and sold them...he helps with setting up for pancake breakfasts and other events we have during the year, and is probably still around when the clean up takes place. He was the convenor for the 2009 CARG Christmas party...the annual volunteer BBQ in June of each year is another event he helps to organize and we all hope he will once again pick an awesome day this year. I am so very pleased to present the 2010 Volunteer of Year Award to Vic Zapf.



Vic Zapf stated: "It is indeed a pleasure to have been asked to introduce the recipient for the CARG Volunteer of the Year award for 2010. Our nominee has been a participant in the exercise program for 22 years, has been a visitor to heart patients for 15 years, retiring in 2008. He has also volunteered at the collection desk for the past 15 years and still continues to do this task. The above mentioned acts of volunteerism were not enough. He along with his wife also volunteered for the SHR at City Hospital for the past 20 years retiring from this in 2009. It gives me great pleasure to present this plaque to Mr. Art Wiggins. On behave of all the members of CARG I congratulate you and thank you for all your volunteer efforts."

Volunteer needed for CARG walking-fee collection (Field House)

Curt Weberbauer, Collection Coordinator writes:
The CARG organization is looking for a support volunteer to oversee the collection of our monthly walking fees. We would like a volunteer who would be willing to work on the first three walking days of each month, from 6:30am to noon. The person would be assisting in organizing the collection teams and assisting in managing the collection process. Please contact Curt by phone at 373-1377, or e-mail at charleyoatmeal@shaw.ca