Parents of Very Young Children with Congenital Heart Defects Report Good Quality of Life for Their Children and Families Regardless of Defect Severity

The purpose of this study was to investigate parent reports of quality of life for their very young children with congenital heart defects (CHD) and to compare their scores to previously published data. Parents of children 1-3 years old with CHD or innocent heart murmurs completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) core, cardiac, and family impact modules. Multivariable regression analyses assessed the impact of age, sex, family income, and CHD treatment history (study group) on PedsQL scores. Correlations between family impact and core/cardiac modules were examined. PedsQL scores were compared to healthy norms. 140 parents of young children participated within four study groups: CHD no treatment (n = 44), CHD treatment without bypass (n = 26), CHD treatment with bypass (n = 42) ,and innocent heart murmurs (n = 28). Male sex was associated with higher core (F = 4.16, p = 0.04, σ² = .03) and cardiac quality of life (F = 4.41, p = .04, σ² = 0.04). Higher family income was associated with higher family quality of life (F = 8.89, p < .01, σ² = 0.13). Parents of children with innocent heart murmurs and children with CHD not requiring treatment had higher core quality of life compared to young healthy children. Cardiac-related quality of life scores were associated with family impact (r = 0.68) and core module (r = 0.63) quality of life scores. Parents of very young children with CHD report good quality of life for their children and families. Quality of life exceeds in children with innocent murmurs or CHD not requiring repair. Parents report a lower quality of life among girls, and lower family quality of life is associated with lower family income.

Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Youth: Fitness, Physical Activity and Adiposity

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are early markers of cardiovascular impairment. The role of EPCs in youth remains unclear, and is complicated by differences in how cells are identified. This study (1) described EPCs in pre- and late-pubertal males and females, (2) examined their association with fitness, activity and adiposity, and (3) compared EPCs to published cell definitions. 94 participants completed 2 sessions. During the first session, aerobic fitness (Wpeak) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were assessed. During the second session, percent body fat (%BF) was determined by DXA, and a fasted blood sample was collected to measure EPCs by flow cytometry. EPCs were identified as CD31(+)CD34(bright)CD45(dim)CD133(+). Samples were reanalyzed and cell counts were compared to 8 previously published EPC definitions. EPCs were similar in pre- and late-pubertal males and females (p>0.05). Neither EPC concentrations nor proportions were correlated with Wpeak (ρ=- 0.04 to-0.06), MVPA (ρ=- 0.09 to - 0.07) or %BF (ρ=0.20 to 0.14). Agreement between cell data analyzed according the different cell definitions ranged from Κ=-0.06 to 0.82. Our findings suggest that EPCs were not associated with fitness, MVPA or adiposity in youth. The overall poor agreement across definitions may be indicative of distinct EPC subpopulations.

Descriptive data on cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors in ambulatory and non-ambulatory adults with cerebral palsy

Forty-two participants with cerebral palsy were recruited for a study examining traditional and novel indicators of cardiovascular risk (McPhee et al., 2015 [1]). Data pertaining to the prevalence of obesity, smoking, hypertension, and metabolic risk are provided. These data are presented along with the scoring methods used in evaluation of the study participants. Percentages are included for comparative purposes with the existing literature.

Metabolic flexibility and obesity in children and youth

The concept of metabolic flexibility describes the ability of skeletal muscle to switch between the oxidation of lipid as a fuel during fasting periods to the oxidation of carbohydrate during insulin stimulated period. Alterations in energy metabolism in adults with obesity, insulin resistance and/or type 2 diabetes induce a state of impaired metabolic flexibility, or metabolic inflexibility. Despite the increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in obese children and youth, less is known about the factors involved in the development of metabolic inflexibility in the paediatric population. Metabolic flexibility is conditioned by nutrient partitioning in response to feeding, substrate mobilization and delivery to skeletal muscle during fasting or exercising condition, and skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. Our aim in this review was to identify among these factors those making obese children at risk of metabolic inflexibility. The development of ectopic rather than peripheral fat storage appears to be a factor strongly linked with a reduced metabolic flexibility. Tissue growth and maturation are determinants of impaired energy metabolism later in life but also as a promising way to reverse metabolic inflexibility given the plasticity of many tissues in youth. Finally, we have attempted to identify perspectives for future investigations of metabolic flexibility in obese children that will improve our understanding of the genesis of metabolic diseases associated with obesity.

The efficacy of SPORT as a dietary supplement on performance and recovery in trained athletes

This study investigated the efficacy of SPORT (a popular dietary supplement) in improving performance and assisting recovery in 9 trained athletes. In a double-blind, crossover experiment, subjects ran at workloads of 60 and 80% of peak oxygen uptake (Peak VO2) for 5 min each with 5 min recovery after each bout and at 100% Peak VO2 until exhaustion. Two capsules of either SPORT or a gelatin placebo were administered 1 hr prior to exercise and immediately after each workload. Heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (BLa) were measured at 1 hr prior to exercise, immediately after the 100% exercise bout and at 5, 10, 20, and 45 min during recovery. No significant differences between treatments on HR and BLa measures at any of the 6 time periods, or on subjects' time to exhaustion were found. Under the conditions of this experimental design, SPORT had no beneficial effects on performance or recovery in trained athletes.