Highlights ■ A single session of self-selected intensity walking reduced systolic blood pressure in individuals with peripheral artery disease. ■ Heart rate recovery responses after self-selected-intensity walking were similar to those following the guidelineprescribed exercise. ■ Self-selected intensity exercise may offer a feasible strategy for patients with claudication, balancing comfort and cardiovascular benefits. ■ These findings support flexible exercise prescriptions tailored to individual comfort without compromising the cardiovascular benefits. ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the post-exercise effects of self-selected exercise intensity […]

Highlights ■ Immersive virtual reality reduced heart rate, pain, agitation, and crying during pediatric venipuncture. ■ This technology effectively reduced pain during repeated invasive procedures, including catheter punctures. ■ The serious game strategy is low-cost, easy to implement, and well-suited for pediatric oncology care. ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the impact of a serious immersive virtual reality game on the physiological and behavioral aspects of pain during peripheral venous access or central catheter puncture in children and adolescents with cancer. Methods: […]

Highlights There were no differences in the physiological responses to walking between men and women with intermittent claudication. Sex per se is not a factor that demands changes in walking prescription for patients with intermittent claudication. ABSTRACT Objective: Peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), anaerobic threshold, walking economy, and cardiovascular responses during walking are used to guide and monitor walking training in patients with peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication. Women with peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication present greater impairments than […]

Highlights Face masks are associated with ear discomfort. Face masks increase the pulse rate. Face masks reduce arterial blood oxygen saturation. Face masks are less tolerated by young men. ABSTRACT Objective: The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the use of face masks in public. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of face masks on pulse rate and partial blood oxygen saturation in patients without cardiorespiratory disorders. Methods: A total of 150 volunteers of […]

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the effect of air pollution on heart rate variability in overweight individuals. Methods: A total of 46 adult individuals, both sexes, aged between 18 and 49 years and with body mass index >25kg/m2 were analyzed. All volunteers were students from public schools of two cities in the state of São Paulo. The clinical, demographic and anthropometric data of each individual, as well as heart rate variability through time domain, geometric and frequency indices were collected. For […]

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate heart rate variability among adults with different risk levels for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods The risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus was assessed in 130 participants (89 females) based on the questionnaire Finnish Diabetes Risk Score and was classified as low risk (n=26), slightly elevated risk (n=41), moderate risk (n=27) and high risk (n=32). To measure heart rate variability, a heart-rate monitor Polar S810i® was employed to obtain RR series for each individual, at rest, […]

Objective To analyze the relation between smoking and passive smoking with heart rate variability parameters in male adolescents. Methods The sample consisted of 1,152 males, aged 14 and 19 years. Data related to smoking and passive smoking were collected using a questionnaire. RR intervals were obtained by a heart rate monitor, on supine position, for 10 minutes. After collecting the RR intervals, time (standard deviation of all RR intervals, root mean square of the squared differences between adjacent normal RR […]

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between the heart rate variability parameters and the indicators of central and general obesity in obese normotensive adolescents. METHODS: Seventyfour 13 to 18 year-old obese normotensive adolescents participated in this study. The indicators analyzed for central and general obesity were waist circumference and body mass index, respectively. Heart rate variability was obtained by heart rate monitoring. For this, the adolescents remained in a supine position for 7 minutes with controlled breathing. Parameters were obtained in […]