Medical Flossing and the Pilates Method: Their Effectiveness on the Strength, Endurance, and Functionality of Healthy Individuals.

The flossing method is an emerging therapeutic intervention based on the use of a floss-band that is circumnavigated at the various points of the body being treated. It is optimally combined with an appropriate exercise program to induce ischemia and release the fascia by applying pressure and movement to functional models. The Pilates method teaches the person to focus on the muscles, especially those responsible for the correct posture. It also helps the individual to become aware of the way he/she breathes. Both methods have positive effects on exercise and rehabilitation. However, medical flossing has not been as well researched as the Pilates method. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of both methods on the strength, endurance, and functionality of healthy individuals. A review of the literature on medical flossing and Pilates was conducted. A systematic research took place from 2014 to 2019. Publications in non-English or non-Greek language were excluded. The articles were retrieved from not only PubMed, Scielo, and Elsevier databases, but also Google Scholar. Both methods are understudied in relation to their effectiveness on the strength, endurance, and functionality of healthy individuals. More studies are required to estimate the effects of both methods on healthy individuals.

SGLT2 Inhibitors and Cardiovascular Outcomes: Do they Differ or there is a Class Effect? New Insights from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial and the CVD-REAL Study.

A new group of hypoglycemic drugs has been used to treat diabetes type 2. This group is active sodium glucose co-transporter (SGLT2) or SGLT2 inhibitors. It has been shown that besides the treatment of diabetes, this drug class is responsible for the mildness of the cardiovascular events shown in patients with diabetes type 2. However, there is an intriguing question regarding the range of SGLT2 inhibitors and if there is a difference between them or if there is a class effect among their results. EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial and the CVD-study are used to answer this question. Additional information from the DECLARE-TIMI 58 and Dapa-HF trials is studied.

Assessing Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Diabetes: An Update.

The globalization of the Western lifestyle has resulted in increase of diabetes mellitus, a complex, multifactorial disease. Diabetes mellitus is a condition often related to the disorders of the cardiovascular system. It is well established that three quarters of diabetics, aged over 40, will die from cardiovascular disease and are more likely than non-diabetics to die from their first cardiovascular event. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to individualize treatment via risk stratification. Conditions that increase cardiovascular risk in people with diabetes include age more than 40 years, male gender, history of relative suffering from premature CHD, blood pressure and high LDL levels, presence of microalbuminuria, obstructive sleepapnea, erectile dysfunction and other conditions. Several models have been developed in order to assess cardiovascular risk in people with and without diabetes. Some of them have been proven to be inadequate while others are widely used for years. An emerging way of risk assessment in patients with diabetes mellitus is the use of biomarkers but a lot of research needs to be done in this field in order to have solid conclusions.