Does blood flow restriction training increase the diameter of forearm vessels in chronic kidney disease patients? A randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION:: Blood flow restriction training can be used as an alternative to conventional exercise in chronic kidney disease patients with indication of arteriovenous fistula. OBJECTIVE:: Evaluating the efficacy of blood flow restriction training in the diameter and distensibility change of the cephalic vein and the diameter and flow of the radial artery, muscle strength and forearm circumference in chronic kidney disease patients with arteriovenous fistula pre-creation. METHODS:: A blind randomized clinical trial consisting of 26 chronic kidney disease patients allocated into a blood flow restriction training group (blood flow restriction; n = 12) and a group without blood flow restriction training (control group; n = 14). Blood flow restriction was performed at 50% of systolic blood pressure and using 40% of handgrip strength as load for the isometric exercises in both groups. RESULTS:: An increase in the diameter of the cephalic vein in the 2 cm (p = 0.008) and 10 cm segments (p = 0.001) was observed in the control group. The diameter of the radial artery increased in all segments in the blood flow restriction group (2, 10 and 20 cm; p = 0.005, p = 0.021 and p = 0.018, respectively) and in the 10 and 20 cm segments (p = 0.017 and p = 0.026) in the control group. Handgrip strength only increased in the control group (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION:: Physical training associated with blood flow restriction increased cephalic vein diameters in both groups and was effective in increasing the diameter of the radial artery; however, it did not demonstrate superiority over the exercise group protocol without blood flow restriction.

Does Whole-Body Vibration Improve the Functional Exercise Capacity of Subjects With COPD? A Meta-Analysis.

Whole-body vibration (WBV) is considered a type of physical activity based on the assumption that it results in an increase in muscle strength and performance and, therefore, may be a promising way to exercise patients with COPD. A comprehensive database search (PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and COCHRANE Library) for randomized trials, including original articles, that compared WBV groups versus control groups was conducted and studies were selected for comparison. The effect of WBV treatment was compared for minimum clinically important differences. The statistical heterogeneity among the studies was assessed using the I2 statistic; the results are expressed as percentages. Inconsistencies of up to 25% were considered low, those between 50 and 75% were considerate moderate, and those > 75% were considered high. Risk of bias was classified based on the Cochrane Collaboration tool, the meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software, and the level of evidence was assessed using the GRADE system. The primary outcome was functional exercise capacity. Secondary outcomes were quality of life, performance in activities of daily living, muscle strength of the lower limbs, and possible adverse effects assessed clinically or by subject reports. We included 4 articles involving 185 subjects for analysis. All subjects in the groups undergoing WBV showed improvement in distance walked in the 6-min walk test compared with the control group (57.85 m, 95% CI 16.36-99.33 m). Regarding the secondary end points, just one article reported improved quality of life and activities of daily living. The only article that assessed muscle strength found no difference between the groups. The quality of evidence for functional exercise capacity outcome was considered moderate. WBV seems to benefit subjects with COPD by improving their functional exercise capacity, without producing adverse effects. The quality of evidence is moderate, but the degree of recommendation is strong. (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, 2015:CRD42015027659.).