Are the 'hard' martial arts, such as the Korean martial art, TaeKwon-Do, of benefit to senior citizens?

Falls are a leading cause of death in the elderly. Associated with aging is a loss of muscular strength, flexibility, and coordination. Regular exercise is widely believed to be of benefit for the elderly. To this end, various exercise regimes have been employed to battle the associated problems of aging. One such has been the Chinese martial art, Tai Chi Chuan (TC). TC as an exercise system uses slow smooth movements to train the body in balance, endurance, and strength. For this reason, it is known as a 'soft' martial art, in that it is very non-impact oriented. There have been a variety of studies in the West examining the beneficial effects of TC. However, to date, there have been no studies with senior citizens using other martial arts, of which, TC is but one. The present study was designed to examine the appropriateness and effects of a Korean martial art known as TaeKwon-Do (TKD), a 'hard' martial art, on an elderly population measuring similar parameters reported for TC. Of those participants that attended >85% of classes, an increase was observed in the average number of push-ups, trunk flexion, and balance time on each foot. TKD proved effective at increasing one-leg balance in the population examined. Additionally, the overall dropout rate was extremely low suggesting both that the elderly are capable of participating in a hard martial art and that they have an interest in it as a viable alternative to other forms of exercise. The present study suggests that TKD as a form of exercise for an elderly population is both viable and potentially popular and warrants further study.

In-vitro activation of complement system by lactic acidosis in newborn and adults.

INTRODUCTION: Complement activation occurs secondary to a variety of external stimuli. Lactic acidosis has been previously shown to activate the complement factors C3a and C5a. In the present investigation we examined the differential effect of lactic acidosis on anaphylatoxin levels in cord and adult blood. Furthermore we aimed to determine if the entire complement cascade could be activated by lactic acidosis. METHODS: Cord and adult blood samples (n = 20 each) were collected and incubated for one hour in either untreated condition or with the addition of lactate in two concentrations (5.5 mmol/l vs. 22 mmol/l). Following incubation, levels of C3a, C5a and sC5b-9, and blood gas parameters were determined. RESULTS: Anaphylatoxin (C3a and C5a) and sC5b-9 levels increased with the addition of lactate in a dose-dependent manner in cord and adult blood (C3a: 1 h, 5.5 mmo/l, 22 mmol/l: 418/498/622 microg/l in cord blood; 1010/1056/1381 microg/l in adult blood, p<0,05; similar results were found for C5a and sC5b-9). CONCLUSION: Lactic acidosis leads to an activation of the entire complement system in neonates and in adults. This activation is dose-dependent and more pronounced in adults as compared to neonates.

Circulating complement proteins in multiple trauma patients--correlation with injury severity, development of sepsis, and outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate protein complement 3a (C3a) and protein complement 3 (C3) plasma levels in trauma patients directly after the injury, in relation to the patients' outcome, the development of sepsis, or the injury severity, as determined by either the Polytrauma Score (PTS), the Injury Severity Score (ISS), or the Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS). DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Surgical intensive care unit in a university hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty-four patients with multiple trauma. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: C3a and C3 concentrations, as well as the C3a/C3 ratio, were determined at the time of the accident (T0), at the emergency admission (T1), 8 hrs after the accident (T2), and every 8 hrs until day 3, every 12 hrs until day 6, and once daily on days 7 and 8. The C3a plasma concentrations and the C3a/C3 ratios of nonsurvivors were significantly greater at T0 or T1 as compared with those survivors (p = .008 or .033). Patients who developed sepsis had higher C3a plasma levels at the scene of accident than patients without complications. However, these differences did not reach statistical significance (p = .051), although a clear trend was apparent. Patients were grouped according to the severity of injury, as determined by either the PTS, ISS, or TRISS. We found significant differences in the both the mean C3a values and the C3a/C3 ratio among the different groups, during the first 8 hrs after the injury. In addition, a significant correlation was observed between the C3a concentration or the C3a/C3 ratio at T0 to T2 and either the ISS (r2 = .49), PTS (r2 = .22) or the TRISS (r2 = .45), which was similar to correlations between injury severity scores themselves (r2 = .36 to .58). CONCLUSIONS: Complement activation occurs immediately after the injury. The degree of activation is a hallmark for the outcome of a patient. Determination of C3a concentrations, at the scene of the accident, may prove helpful to assess the severity of the injury and to determine the prognosis. The amount of C3a and the C3a/C3 ratio may be useful as additional parameters to the existing trauma scoring systems, such as, PTS, ISS, and TRISS.