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Background With urbanization and residential space expansion, ecological environment and human health issues have become hot social topics. Forest health, as a way of seeking health in nature, has begun to receive public attention in the context of the gradually increasing sub-healthy population and various psychological and physical diseases at a young age. Objective To systematically evaluate the effects of forest therapy on selected physical and mental health indicators. Methods Relevant research literature was retrieved from domestic and international databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, China Biomedical Literature Service System, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library), with a time range from database establishment to January 31, 2023. Relevant data were extracted for meta-analysis to explore the relationship between forest therapy and selected psychological and physiological indicators. Results A total of 85 articles were included, and the meta-analysis results showed that better scores of Profile of Mood States, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and State Trait Anxiety Scale were found in the forest group than those in the urban group (P<0.05); the levels of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, sympathetic nerve indicator [ln (LF/HF)], salivary cortisol, and serum inflammatory factors were lower in the forest group than in the urban group, while parasympathetic nerve indicator [ln (HF)] level was higher in the forest group than in the urban group (P<0.05). The results of subgroup analysis showed that the changes in heart rate (SMD=−1.62, 95%CI: −2.41, −0.82), ln (HF) (SMD=1.29, 95%CI: 0.73, 1.85), ln (LF/HF) (SMD=−1.49, 95%CI: −2.13, −0.86), and salivary cortisol (SMD=−0.53, 95%CI: −0.81, −0.25) were more significant when the duration of forest therapy was ≤ 0.5 h, the recovery effect on emotional state was better in the >0.5~3 h group (such as tension SMD=−2.40, 95%CI: −3.21, 1.59), and the reduction effects on systolic blood pressure (SMD=−0.53, 95%CI: −1.03, −0.03) and diastolic blood pressure (SMD=−0.42, 95%CI: −0.88, 0.04) were better in the >3 h group. Seated meditation showed better recovery effects on multiple indicators of Profile of Mood States (such as fatigue SMD=−2.26, 95%CI: −3.07, −1.45), while walking showed better recovery effects on physiological indicators such as blood pressure (systolic blood pressure SMD=−0.57, 95%CI: −1.07, −0.06; diastolic blood pressure SMD=−0.72, 95%CI: −1.36, −0.07) and heart rate (SMD=−1.51, 95%CI: −2.38, -0.64). Except for blood pressure, the health benefits of forest therapy in the younger age group were generally better than those in the middle-aged and elderly group. Conclusion Relaxed and comfortable psychological feeling is reported when practicing forest therapy; it can lower blood pressure and heart rate, regulate the autonomic nervous system; it can also reduce the release of stress hormones and lower serum levels of inflammatory factors, exerting an auxiliary recovery effect on cardiovascular and immune system disorders. At the same time, the therapy duration, form, and age of the subjects have a certain impact on the effects of forest therapy practice.
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Objective To investigate the effects of age and gender on anti-oxidative,antiinflammatory and anti-apoptosis functions of high-density lipoprotein (HDL).Methods Totally 120 healthy subjects aged from 20 to 60 years were randomly divided into young and middle-aged male (n=60) group and female (n =60) group,and the 120 healthy elderly aged from 60 to 78 years divided into elderly male (n =60) and elderly female (n =60) groups.Serum levels of high-and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C,LDL-C),total cholesterol (TC),and triacylglycerol (TG) were detected.Content of malonaldehyde (MDA) was detected to determine anti-oxidative function of HDL.Adhesion assay of endothelial cells and monocytes (THP1) was adopted to test the protective effects of HDL on endothelial cells.The expressions of endothelial cell adhesion molecules,VCAM-1 and ICAM-1,were analyzed by Western blot.MTT and flow cytometry assays were used to detect the viability and apoptosis of the cells to test anti-apoptosis function of HDL.Results The levels of low-density lipoprotein,triglycerides and total cholesterol were higher in elder female group than in other three groups (all P＜0.05).The level of HDL-C was higher in young and middle-aged females than in other three groups(all P＜0.05).The level of MDA was higher in elder female group than in other three groups(all P＜0.05).The level of MDA was higher in elder male group than in the young and middle-aged male and female groups(all P＜0.05).After protection of HDL,the number of monocytes adhesion and expression levels of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 were higher in elder groups than in young and middle-aged male and female groups(all P＜ 0.05).Relative survival and viability rates of endothelial cells were higher in young and middle-aged groups than in elder groups (all P＜0.05).Conclusions Ageing in both male and female induces impairments of anti-oxidative,anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis functions of HDL,with more evident decrease in anti-oxidative function in females.