Cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity in the lens of social justice - Reporting on the disparities that exist.

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), heavily influenced by physical activity (PA), represents a strong and independent risk factor for a wide range of health conditions, most notably, cardiovascular disease. Substantial disparities in CRF have been identified between white and non-white populations. These disparities may partly account for group differences in susceptibility to poor health outcomes, including non-communicable disease. Race and ethnic differences in CRF may partly be explained by social injustices rooted in persistent structural and systemic racism. These forces contribute to environments that are unsupportive for opportunities to achieve optimal CRF levels. This review aims to examine, through the lens of social justice, the inequities in key social ecological factors, including socioeconomic status, the built environment, and structural racism, that underly the systemic differences in CRF and PA in vulnerable communities. Further, this review highlights current public health initiatives, as well as opportunities in future research, to address inequities and enhance CRF through the promotion of regular PA.

How to interpret a cardiorespiratory fitness assessment - Key measures that provide the best picture of health, disease status and prognosis.

Graded exercise testing is a widely accepted tool for revealing cardiac ischemia and/or arrhythmias in clinical settings. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) measures expired gases during a graded exercise test making it a versatile tool that helps reveal underlying physiologic abnormalities that are in many cases only present with exertion. It also characterizes one's health status and clinical trajectory, informs the therapeutic plan, evaluates the efficacy of therapy, and provides submaximal and maximal information that can be used to tailor an exercise intervention. Practitioners can also modify the mode and protocol to allow individuals of all ages, fitness levels, and most disease states to perform a CPET. When used to its full potential, CPET can be a key tool used to optimize care in primary and secondary prevention settings.

Targeting Cancer using Curcumin Encapsulated Vesicular Drug Delivery Systems.

Curcumin is a major curcuminoid present in turmeric. The compound is attributed to various therapeutic properties, which include anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-malarial, and neuroprotection. Due to its therapeutic potential, curcumin has been employed for centuries in treating different ailments. Curcumin has been investigated lately as a novel therapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer. However, the mechanisms by which curcumin exerts its cytotoxic effects on malignant cells are still not fully understood. One of the main limiting factors in the clinical use of curcumin is its poor bioavailability and rapid elimination. Advancements in drug delivery systems such as nanoparticle-based vesicular drug delivery platforms have improved several parameters, namely, drug bioavailability, solubility, stability, and controlled release properties. The use of curcumin-encapsulated niosomes to improve the physical and pharmacokinetic properties of curcumin is one such approach. This review provides an up-to-date summary of nanoparticle-based vesicular drug carriers and their therapeutic applications. Specifically, we focus on niosomes as novel drug delivery formulations and their potential in improving the delivery of challenging small molecules, including curcumin. Overall, the applications of such carriers will provide a new direction for novel pharmaceutical drug delivery, as well as for biotechnology, nutraceutical, and functional food industries.