Low cardiorespiratory fitness and low serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D) levels are associated with increased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, but whether low 25(OH)D is independently associated with cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy adults is not known. We examined 25(OH)D levels and fitness in 200 healthy adults participating in a double-blind clinical trial investigating statins ...

According to recent published reports, over 12 million new cases of cancer were estimated worldwide for 2007. Estimates from 2008 predict that cancer will account for 22.8% of all deaths in the US. Another report stated 50% to 75% of cancer deaths in the US are related to smoking, poor dietary choices, and physical inactivity. A 2004 report indicated obesity and/or a sedentary lifestyle increas...

Premature birth is associated with increased respiratory morbidity. We investigated cross-sectionally, in 69 healthy infants who had never had cardiorespiratory problems, whether premature birth is associated with diminished pulmonary function. The study comprised 26 healthy infants born prematurely (PT), median gestational age 32 (26-36) weeks, and 43 healthy controls born full-term (FT), medi...

Personality traits and cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults are reliable predictors of health and longevity. We examined the association between personality traits and energy expenditure at rest (basal metabolic rate) and during normal and maximal sustained walking. Personality traits and oxygen (VO(2)) consumption were assessed in 642 participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of ...

We examined the effects of chest wall restriction (CWR) on cardiorespiratory function at rest and during exercise in healthy subjects in an attempt to approximate the cardiorespiratory interactions observed in clinical conditions that result in restrictive lung and/or chest wall changes and a reduced intrathoracic space. Canvas straps were applied around the thorax and abdomen so that vital cap...

Each year, reports occur of deaths in individuals, while struggling against physical restraint. The mechanism of these deaths remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the effect of wrist restraint on cardiorespiratory function during maximal exercise. Twelve healthy volunteers underwent 3 incremental maximal exercise tests on a cycle ergometer. In a randomized order, they exercised while ...

OBJECTIVE To examine how cardiorespiratory fitness and self-perceived stress are associated with burnout and depression. To determine if any relationship between stress and burnout/depression is mitigated among participants with high fitness levels. METHODS 197 participants (51% men, mean age=39.2 years) took part in the study. The Åstrand bicycle test was used to assess cardorespiratory fitn...

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to determine whether a small-size valve prosthesis contributes to exercise intolerance, as assessed by VO2 measurement during an exhaustive cycle ergometer exercise. BACKGROUND The determinants of exercise capacity after mechanical aortic replacement are not well known. The selection of small valve sizes has, however, been described as an independent...