The purpose of this epidemiological survey (N = 1600) was to describe the factors which middle-ag... more The purpose of this epidemiological survey (N = 1600) was to describe the factors which middle-aged urban people in Finland perceived as promoting or disturbing sleep. The response rate was 75%. The results suggested that quality of sleep is determined by numerous factors; social and psychological factors, health status, external sleeping conditions, life style and living habits. Every third respondent felt that exercise had a positive impact on sleep. Second in importance were reading and listening to music. Furthermore, sauna, shower and bath, stability in life, psychological factors, positive experience in work, satisfactory sexual life and good and quiet sleeping environment were reported to have positive effects on sleep. Men considered work-related pressure and fatigue (20%) as the most important factor disturbing falling asleep or quality of sleep. In women's ranking work problems appeared no sooner than in the third place. Women reported worries, interpersonal problems, and marital and family discord as the most disturbing factors to sleep (37%). Coffee in the evening had a negative effect on falling asleep. Although a 'nightcap' was considered to improve relaxation on falling sleep, men ranked alcohol as the fourth disturbing factor. Other disturbing factors were stress, irregularities in everyday life because of social events, travelling or atypical catnaps. Eating and exercising too heavily or too late in the evening were found to disturb sleep. On the other hand, temporary lack of exercise seemed to impair the quality of sleep. As external factors disturbing sleep the subjects considered noise light, too high room temperature, tight clothing, unfamiliar sleeping environment and restless children.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
This survey was designed to study the characteristics of sleep and perceived factors promoting an... more This survey was designed to study the characteristics of sleep and perceived factors promoting and disturbing sleep. Several living habits, such as exercise, and characteristics of sleep were investigated independently of each other by a pretested questionnaire and a sleep diary which were mailed to a stratified random sample of 200 men and women in each of the age groups 36, 41, 46 and 50 years (N = 1600). The response rate was 75%. Every third respondent felt that exercise (e.g. jogging and evening walks) had a positive impact on sleep quality. The most frequently perceived positive effects of exercise were ease of falling asleep, deepness of sleep, a sense of wellbeing and more alertness in the morning. Negative perceived effects of exercise were uncommon. The balance of positive and negative perceived effects of exercise was more favourable when the activity was performed early in the evening compared to late at night. When both the intensity and the timing of exercise were considered, light and moderate exercise, especially early in the evening, had mainly positive effects on sleep. The frequency of negative impacts increased when the exercise was performed vigorously late at night. However, a considerable portion of vigorous late exercisers reported mainly positive effects. The available information suggests that especially light and moderate exercise early in the evening should be emphasised in health education as a means to enhance sleep and to improve its quality. However, the epidemiological information about exercise and sleep should be investigated and verified in detail using objective methods and controlled interventions.
Seventeen post-myocardial infarction patients experiencing angina on effort performed 6 different... more Seventeen post-myocardial infarction patients experiencing angina on effort performed 6 different exercise tests until they reached symptom-limited maximal level, 3 after placebo and 3 after oral administration of 10 mg of the Calcium antagonist, nifedipine, in a randomized, double blind, cross-over controlled study. Four of the tests were conventional bicycle and treadmill tests with stepwise increasing load. In 2 of the tests an isometric exercise of carrying a weight averaging 6 kg and corresponding to about 30% of maximal grip strength was added to the treadmill walking. When the exercise was stopped because of moderately severe angina, the product of heart rate and systolic blood pressure did not show any statistically significant difference between the tests. However, in the treadmill plus isometric test the work time was shorter and the slope of the treadmill was less than in the treadmill test. The difference was caused partly by non-cardiac factors, namely fatigue of the hand muscles. In routine exercise tests of coronary patients the addition of an isometric to a dynamic load did not give substantially more information than dynamic exercise alone. Nifedipine caused a modest increase of exercise tolerance in all tests, the increase being greatest in the treadmill plus isometric test. The increase in exercise tolerance was seen also in patients receiving beta-blocking agent.
One hundred and thirteen patients operated during the years 1971 to 1976, were re-examined at an ... more One hundred and thirteen patients operated during the years 1971 to 1976, were re-examined at an average of 26.3 months after heart valve replacement. The functional capacity assessed by the NYHA-classification improved in about 40% of the patients. About 80% considered their symptoms and well-being to have improved after the operation. At the re-examination, heart size was most often enlarged in patients with mitral valve replacement. The average work load measured in bicycle ergometer test was higher in patients with aortic valve replacement compared to those with mitral valve replacement. Patients with aortic valve replacements were working more often (54%) than those with mitral valve replacements (37%). The mean age of patients who were working was significantly lower than in patients who were retired. There was a statistically significant relation between the physical working capacity and the working status. The employability assessed by history and clinical findings corresponded well to the actual work situation in individual patients.
Plasma catecholamine concentrations and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activities were studied in 29 p... more Plasma catecholamine concentrations and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activities were studied in 29 participants of a six-day cross-country ski-hike (260 km) to elucidate the adaptive responses of the sympatho-adrenal system to prolonged heavy exercise. Immediately after skiing on the first skiing day plasma noradrenaline concentrations appeared to be over twice as high as in the morning. On the morning of the fourth day noradrenaline levels had increased significantly when compared to those of the first morning. Concentrations after skiing on the fourth day were, however, about the same as in the first evening. After a submaximal ergometer test performed immediately after the skiing concentrations were still raised and the relative enhancement by this short-term exercise was about the same magnitude (40--60 %) on every test day. On the sixth day noradrenaline concentrations were about the same level as on the fourth day. Eleven days after the hike the basal noradrenaline levels were still about 25 % higher than before it. The changes of plasma adrenaline concentrations were in the same direction although not as striking as those of noradrenaline. Dopamine alterations were negligible. A significant but reversible decrease in plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activities and cholesterol concentrations was found during the hike. The present results show that the sympatho-adrenal system is activated during the first few days of a ski-hike type prolonged exercise. A plateau developed in about four days. There were no signs of a decreased sympatho-adrenal response to a short-term heavy load.
The purpose of this epidemiological survey (N = 1600) was to describe the factors which middle-ag... more The purpose of this epidemiological survey (N = 1600) was to describe the factors which middle-aged urban people in Finland perceived as promoting or disturbing sleep. The response rate was 75%. The results suggested that quality of sleep is determined by numerous factors; social and psychological factors, health status, external sleeping conditions, life style and living habits. Every third respondent felt that exercise had a positive impact on sleep. Second in importance were reading and listening to music. Furthermore, sauna, shower and bath, stability in life, psychological factors, positive experience in work, satisfactory sexual life and good and quiet sleeping environment were reported to have positive effects on sleep. Men considered work-related pressure and fatigue (20%) as the most important factor disturbing falling asleep or quality of sleep. In women's ranking work problems appeared no sooner than in the third place. Women reported worries, interpersonal problems, and marital and family discord as the most disturbing factors to sleep (37%). Coffee in the evening had a negative effect on falling asleep. Although a 'nightcap' was considered to improve relaxation on falling sleep, men ranked alcohol as the fourth disturbing factor. Other disturbing factors were stress, irregularities in everyday life because of social events, travelling or atypical catnaps. Eating and exercising too heavily or too late in the evening were found to disturb sleep. On the other hand, temporary lack of exercise seemed to impair the quality of sleep. As external factors disturbing sleep the subjects considered noise light, too high room temperature, tight clothing, unfamiliar sleeping environment and restless children.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
This survey was designed to study the characteristics of sleep and perceived factors promoting an... more This survey was designed to study the characteristics of sleep and perceived factors promoting and disturbing sleep. Several living habits, such as exercise, and characteristics of sleep were investigated independently of each other by a pretested questionnaire and a sleep diary which were mailed to a stratified random sample of 200 men and women in each of the age groups 36, 41, 46 and 50 years (N = 1600). The response rate was 75%. Every third respondent felt that exercise (e.g. jogging and evening walks) had a positive impact on sleep quality. The most frequently perceived positive effects of exercise were ease of falling asleep, deepness of sleep, a sense of wellbeing and more alertness in the morning. Negative perceived effects of exercise were uncommon. The balance of positive and negative perceived effects of exercise was more favourable when the activity was performed early in the evening compared to late at night. When both the intensity and the timing of exercise were considered, light and moderate exercise, especially early in the evening, had mainly positive effects on sleep. The frequency of negative impacts increased when the exercise was performed vigorously late at night. However, a considerable portion of vigorous late exercisers reported mainly positive effects. The available information suggests that especially light and moderate exercise early in the evening should be emphasised in health education as a means to enhance sleep and to improve its quality. However, the epidemiological information about exercise and sleep should be investigated and verified in detail using objective methods and controlled interventions.
Seventeen post-myocardial infarction patients experiencing angina on effort performed 6 different... more Seventeen post-myocardial infarction patients experiencing angina on effort performed 6 different exercise tests until they reached symptom-limited maximal level, 3 after placebo and 3 after oral administration of 10 mg of the Calcium antagonist, nifedipine, in a randomized, double blind, cross-over controlled study. Four of the tests were conventional bicycle and treadmill tests with stepwise increasing load. In 2 of the tests an isometric exercise of carrying a weight averaging 6 kg and corresponding to about 30% of maximal grip strength was added to the treadmill walking. When the exercise was stopped because of moderately severe angina, the product of heart rate and systolic blood pressure did not show any statistically significant difference between the tests. However, in the treadmill plus isometric test the work time was shorter and the slope of the treadmill was less than in the treadmill test. The difference was caused partly by non-cardiac factors, namely fatigue of the hand muscles. In routine exercise tests of coronary patients the addition of an isometric to a dynamic load did not give substantially more information than dynamic exercise alone. Nifedipine caused a modest increase of exercise tolerance in all tests, the increase being greatest in the treadmill plus isometric test. The increase in exercise tolerance was seen also in patients receiving beta-blocking agent.
One hundred and thirteen patients operated during the years 1971 to 1976, were re-examined at an ... more One hundred and thirteen patients operated during the years 1971 to 1976, were re-examined at an average of 26.3 months after heart valve replacement. The functional capacity assessed by the NYHA-classification improved in about 40% of the patients. About 80% considered their symptoms and well-being to have improved after the operation. At the re-examination, heart size was most often enlarged in patients with mitral valve replacement. The average work load measured in bicycle ergometer test was higher in patients with aortic valve replacement compared to those with mitral valve replacement. Patients with aortic valve replacements were working more often (54%) than those with mitral valve replacements (37%). The mean age of patients who were working was significantly lower than in patients who were retired. There was a statistically significant relation between the physical working capacity and the working status. The employability assessed by history and clinical findings corresponded well to the actual work situation in individual patients.
Plasma catecholamine concentrations and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activities were studied in 29 p... more Plasma catecholamine concentrations and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activities were studied in 29 participants of a six-day cross-country ski-hike (260 km) to elucidate the adaptive responses of the sympatho-adrenal system to prolonged heavy exercise. Immediately after skiing on the first skiing day plasma noradrenaline concentrations appeared to be over twice as high as in the morning. On the morning of the fourth day noradrenaline levels had increased significantly when compared to those of the first morning. Concentrations after skiing on the fourth day were, however, about the same as in the first evening. After a submaximal ergometer test performed immediately after the skiing concentrations were still raised and the relative enhancement by this short-term exercise was about the same magnitude (40--60 %) on every test day. On the sixth day noradrenaline concentrations were about the same level as on the fourth day. Eleven days after the hike the basal noradrenaline levels were still about 25 % higher than before it. The changes of plasma adrenaline concentrations were in the same direction although not as striking as those of noradrenaline. Dopamine alterations were negligible. A significant but reversible decrease in plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activities and cholesterol concentrations was found during the hike. The present results show that the sympatho-adrenal system is activated during the first few days of a ski-hike type prolonged exercise. A plateau developed in about four days. There were no signs of a decreased sympatho-adrenal response to a short-term heavy load.
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