SAFETY AND EFFECTS OF CRATAEGUS EXTRACT WS 1442 AND NORDIC WALKING ON LIPID PROFILE AND ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION: A RANDOMIZED, PARTIALLY BLINDED PILOT STUDY IN OVERWEIGHT VOLUNTEERS.

Overweight and physical inactivity adversely affect endothelial function and are risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Both Crataegus extract WS 1442 and physical exercise exert beneficial effects on endothelial function. We investigated whether WS 1442 and Nordic walking (NW) had comparable effects on endothelial function and lipid profile in overweight subjects. In this partially blinded pilot study, overweight, otherwise healthy volunteers aged 45-75 years were randomized into four groups as follows: WS 1442 2x450 mg/day (WS-standard), WS 1442 2x900 mg/day (WS-double), exercise 2x30 minutes/week (NW-low), and exercise 4x45 minutes/week (NW-high) for 12 weeks. Safety was assessed based on adverse events. Endothelial function testing (EndoPAT®), assessment of endothelial progenitor cells, lipid profiles, and treadmill testing were performed. Sixty subjects participated in the study. At baseline, subjects in WS-standard/-double groups had higher lipid levels and greater impairment of endothelial function. Subjects with impaired endothelial function showed improvement regardless of the type of intervention. Subjects in WS-standard and WS-double groups showed a trend towards modest decrease in triglycerides and modest increase in HDL-cholesterol; most changes were within the normal limits. In NW-low/-high groups, values also remained within the normal range. Exercise capacity improved in both NW groups. WS-double showed no additional benefits over WS-standard. All adverse events were unrelated or improbably related to treatment. In conclusion, WS 1442 and exercise training were safe and showed beneficial effects on endothelial function and lipid profile in overweight but otherwise healthy volunteers; exercise capacity improved only by Nordic walking.

Hiking in suicidal patients: neutral effects on markers of suicidality.

BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity promotes physical and mental health. Psychiatric patients are prone to a sedentary lifestyle, and accumulating evidence has identified physical activity as a supplemental treatment option. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, crossover study evaluated the effects of hiking in high-risk suicidal patients (n = 20) who performed 9 weeks of hiking (2-3 hikes/week, 2-2.5 hours each) and a 9-week control period. RESULTS: All patients participated in the required 2 hikes per week and thus showed a compliance of 100%. Regular hiking led to significant improvement in maximal exercise capacity (hiking period Δ: +18.82 ± 0.99 watt, P < .001; control period: P = .134) and in aerobic capability at 70% of the individual heart rate reserve (hiking period Δ: +8.47 ± 2.22 watt; P = .010; control period: P = .183). Cytokines, associated previously with suicidality (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, S100), remained essentially unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Hiking is an effective and safe form of exercise training even in high-risk suicidal patients. It leads to a significant improvement in maximal exercise capacity and aerobic capability without concomitant deterioration of markers of suicidality. Offering this popular mode of exercise to these patients might help them to adopt a physically more active lifestyle.