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RESEARCH SNAPSHOT
HIIT is a time-efficient strategy to improve functional capacity in AF
High-intensity interval training ( HIIT ) leads to similar improvements in functional capacity and quality of life compared to moderate-tovigorous intensity continuous training ( MICT ) cardiac rehabilitation but represents a more time-efficient strategy for patients with persistent atrial fibrillation ( AF ). This was a key finding of a randomised trial by Canadian researchers .
Exercised-based interventions for cardiovascular rehabilitation ( CR ), and which include MICT , have generally shown improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness , functional capacity and quality of life in patients with AF . However , there is a growing recognition that HIIT also has beneficial effects for patients with cardiovascular disease . For example , HIIT training produces improvements in exercise and functional capacity and there is some evidence that this approach to exercise gives rise to superior improvements in cardiovascular risk factors . To date , only one study has examined the role of HIIT in patients with permanent AF and demonstrated improvements in fitness and quality of life compared to a control group . However , no studies have directly compared HITT with MICT in patients with AF and this was the purpose of the present , randomised trial .
The Canadian team randomised AF patients 1:1 to either HIIT or MICT-based CR with the former consisting of two 8-minute interval blocks of 30 s work periods at 80 to 100 % of peak power ( i . e ., going all out ) with a 4-minute
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recovery between the blocks . The MICT session lasted 60 minutes and included a 15-minute warm-up , followed by 30 minutes of continuous aerobic exercise ( e . g ., walking , jogging etc ) and a final 15-minute cool-down of strength and stretching exercises .
Functional capacity was assessed by a 6-minute walk test ( 6MWT ) and quality of life was assessed using the Short Form 36 . Researchers also looked at changes such as the time in AF over 24 hours and resting heart rate and the trial lasted for 12 weeks .
A total of 86 participants with a mean age of 69 years ( 66.3 % male ) were included in study .
At the end of the study there were improvements in all the outcomes assessed . However , there were no significant differences between the two groups . This was evident for the 6MWT ( p = 0.42 ), general quality of life ( p = 0.87 ), disease-specific quality of life ( p = 0.59 ), resting heart rate ( p = 0.63 ) and time in AF ( p = 0.07 ).
Despite there being no significant differences in outcomes , HIIT required a significantly lower total exercise volume and time , leading the authors to suggest that HIIT is a more time-efficient option to improve both physical health and quality of life .
Reference 1 Reed JL et al . Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation : A Randomized Clinical Trial . JAMA Netw Open Oct 2022 .
Maternal caffeine intake associated with shorter stature in early childhood
A study has suggested that even low consumption of caffeine during pregnancy can result in children being of lower-thanaverage height .
It is already known that a modest caffeine intake during pregnancy can result in a lower birth weight and that this effect is worse with higher intakes . Moreover , other work , based on self-reported caffeine intake , suggests an association with excess weight gain during infancy and represents an obesity risk in children . Nevertheless , as these latter data were derived from populations with a high caffeine intake , there is some uncertainty over the effect of lower levels of intake and how this might impact on childhood growth . In the present study , researchers turned to two large cohorts to examine the association of caffeine and paraxanthine , its primary metabolite during pregnancy , and the effect on the growth of their offspring . Both caffeine and paraxanthine levels were analysed in serum samples collected during the first trimester and the resulting concentrations categorised into quartiles . To compare the effect on
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