No abstract

Bradycardia is an expected condition for sportsmen. SBP and DWS were found to be high in wrestlers, suggesting that arterial tissue is more susceptible to stress. The low IMT indicates the protective effect of regular exercise against atherosclerosis. It is known that regular exercise is a good thing for the vascular structure of individuals who have a sedentary lifestyle, while heavy exercise puts a load on the vascular structure. The fact that the elastic modulus, compliance, and distensibility do not differ between the groups suggests that structural changes in the adolescents have no effect on the vascular wall.

Proprioceptive abnormalities, balance, and postural disorders have been previously reported in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Unlike previous research, the aim of this study was to compare the proprioception of the cervical region of patients with FMS with a healthy control group. The relationship between cervical proprioception impairment and loss of balance was also examined. A total of 96 female FMS patients and 96 female healthy control subjects were enrolled in this case-control study. The cervical joint position error test (CJPET) was administered to the patient and control groups for cervical proprioception evaluation. FMS patients were assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS), fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ), and fatigue severity scale (FSS). Balance tests were applied to both groups. FMS patients had significantly impaired CJPET results in all directions (p < 0.001). There were significant positive correlations between FIQ scores and CJPET results (r = 0.542 and p < 0.001 for right rotation; r = 0.604 and p < 0.001 for left rotation; r = 0.550 and p < 0.001 for flexion; r = 0.612 and p < 0.001 for extension). Significant correlations were found between CJPET measurements and balance tests (for sit-tostand test; r = 0.510 and p < 0.001 for right rotation; r = 0.431 and p < 0.001 for left rotation; r = 0.490 and p < 0.001 for flexion; r = 0.545 and p < 0.001 for extension), (for timed up and go test; r = 0.469 and p < 0.001 for right rotation; r = 0.378 and p < 0.001 for left rotation; r = 0.410 and p < 0.001 for flexion; r = 0.496 and p < 0.001 for extension) and (for one-legged balance test; r = −0.479 and p < 0.001 for right rotation; r = −0.365 and p < 0.001 for left rotation; r = −0.392 and p < 0.001 for flexion; r = −0.469 and p < 0.001 for extension). Cervical proprioception and balance were impaired in FMS patients. As the disease activity and fatigue level increased, so the deterioration in cervical proprioception became more evident. There were correlations that demonstrated an association between impaired cervical proprioception and poor balance tests. Therefore, proprioception and balance assessments should be integrated into the physical examination processes of FMS patients.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-lasting autoimmune disorder that primarily affects the joints. Various biomarkers have been used for the prognosis and clinical follow-up. There are few studies that have investigated whether or not neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and red cell distribution width (RDW) are good indicators of systemic inflammation. The present study aims to explore the prognostic value of RDW and NLR in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a new inflammatory marker. Methods: RA patients (n = 124) who presented to the Rheumatology outpatient clinic in our hospital between March 2015 and May 2015 were included in this study retrospectively. As a first group, 47 clinically active RA patients who had high acute phase proteins were included. In the second group, 73 clinically in-remission RA patients who had normal acute phase proteins were included. Fifty-five healthy volunteers constituted the control group. Results: The mean RDW was found to be 15.2 ± 2.9 in the active group; 14.6 ± 2 in the inactive group and 13.4 ± 1.4 in the control group (p < 0.01). The mean NLR was found to be 3.7 ± 2.2 in the active group; 3.7 ± 1.6 in the inactive group and 3.2 ± 0.9 in the control group (p = 0.190). There were statistically significant differences between the RDW values of the active-period RA patients with the control group (p < 0.01). There was statistically significant difference between RDW values of active RA and inactive RA patients (p < 0.01). The NLR results between the RA group and the control group (p = 0.700); the active RA group, and the inactive RA group (p = 0.169) were similar. There was not statistically difference between the NLR values of active RA patients with the control group (p = 0.360). There was statistically difference between the NLR values of inactive RA patients with the control group (p = 0.047). Conclusion: RDW was found higher in all RA group than control, additionally was also higher in active RA group than remission group. NLR values of remission group was higher than control.

Background:Piriformis muscle syndrome (PMS) is relatively less known and underestimated because it is confused with other clinical pathological conditions. Delays in its diagnosis may lead to chronic somatic dysfunction and muscle weakness.Objective:Here, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the ultrasound elastography (UE) as an easy, less-invasive, and cost-effective method for early diagnosis of PMS.Materials and Methods:Twenty-eight cases clinically diagnosed as PMS at the outpatient clinic were evaluated by UE. The elastographic strain ratio was calculated by dividing the strain value of the subcutaneous fat tissue by the mean stress value of the muscle beneath. The diagnostic performances of the strain rate measures were compared using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.Results:Twenty-one (N = 21) cases were female, and seven (N = 7) of the cases were male. The mean age was 45 years (ranged 24–62 years). The strain rates of piriformis muscle (PM) and gluteus maximus (GM) muscles were significantly higher on the PMS-diagnosed side (P < 0.001). The cutoff value of UE strain ratio for the PM and GM were 0.878 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.774–0.981] and 0.768 (95% CI 0.622–0.913), respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity values were, respectively, 80.95% and 85.71% for the PM, and they were, respectively, 85.71% and 66.67% for the GM.Conclusion:We showed that the muscle elasticity and tissue hardening increased on the problematic side both on PM and GM. UE may provide early diagnosis of PMS, thereby increasing the possibility of treatment with less invasive methods.

No abstract

Ultrasound elastography (UE) is a new ultrasound-based imaging technique that provides information about elasticity and stiffness of tissues. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the diagnostic importance of UE in supraspinatus impingement syndrome. Forty-one subjects, aged 38-70 years, were included in the study. UE was used to determine the elasticity of the supraspinatus muscle. The strain ratio was calculated as the evaluation criteria to measure the elasticity of the muscle. High strain ratio indicated low elasticity. The measurements were made by the blinded radiologist while the patients sat with their shoulder in a neutral position. The diagnostic value of the strain ratio was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The mean strain value of the supraspinatus muscle on the intact and pathological shoulders determined by UE was 0.74 ± 0.33 and 0.31 ± 0.24, respectively. A low strain ratio value in the supraspinatus muscle on the side with impingement syndrome was measured. When the test variable was evaluated as "strain ratio" according to ROC curve analysis, it was found to be above the reference line [0.849 (> 0.5)] (P = 0.00). When the cutoff value was selected as 0.495, the sensitivity and specificity were found to be 75.6 and 78% (the strain ratio value > 0.495), respectively. Measurement of strain ratio with UE can be used as a noninvasive, inexpensive, and practical diagnostic test for the shoulder impingement disease.

Amaç: Osteoporozlu hastalarda üriner inkontinansı (Üİ) şiddeti ile depresyon, anksiyete ve yaşam kalitesi arasındaki ilişkinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlandı. Gereç ve Yöntem: Olguların dual enerji X-ray absorbsiyometre yöntemiyle lomber vertebra ve femur boyun bölgelerinden yapılan kemik mineral yoğunluğu (KMY) ölçüm sonuçlarına göre, KMY değerleri -1 ile -2,5 standart sapma (SS) arasında tespit edilenler osteopeni (n=39); -2,5 SS ve yüksek değerler Osteoporoz (n=37), KMY değerleri -1 SS'den düşük ve herhangi bir hastalık öyküsü olmayanlar kontrol grubu (n=37) olarak değerlendirildi. Tüm katılımcılara sosyo-demografik veri formu, İnkontinans Şiddet indeksi (İŞİ), Yaşam Kalitesi ölçeği (SF-36), Beck Depresyon envanteri (BDE) ve Beck Anksiyete envanteri (BAE) uygulandı. Bulgular: Gruplar arasında İŞİ açısından kontrol grubu ile osteoporoz grubu arasında ve osteoporoz grubuyla osteopeni grubu arasında, osteoporozlu grupta yüksek olacak şekilde, anlamlı farklılık vardı. İŞİ skoru arttıkça BDE ve BAE skorları artmakta idi. İŞİ skoru ile yaşam kalitesinin alt ölçekleri arasında ilişki saptanamadı. Sonuç: Osteoporozlu hastalarda Üİ sık görülen bir durumdur ve KMY azaldıkça Üİ şiddeti artmaktadır. Hem osteoporoz, hem Üİ yüksek oranda depresyon ve anksiyeteye neden olabilmektedir. Osteoporozlu hastalarda Üİ varlığı, şiddeti, depresyon ve anksiyete durumunun sorgulanması, osteoporoz yönetimine katkıda bulunacaktır. Objective:The present study aimed to analyze the relation between urinary incontinence (UI) severity and depression, anxiety and quality of life in osteoporosis patients. Materials and Methods: Based on the bone mineral density (BMD) measurements conducted on the lumbar vertebra and femoral neck regions with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, those with BMD values between -1 and -2.5 standard deviation (SD) were considered as osteopenia patients (n=39), those with -2.5 SD or higher values were considered as osteoporosis patients (n=37), and those with BMD values lower than -1 SD and without any disease history were determined as the control group (n=37). Socio-demographic data form, Incontinence Severity index (ISI), Quality of Life scale (SF-36), Beck Depression inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety inventory (BAI) were applied to all participants. Results: It was determined that there were significant differences between the control group and the osteoporosis group, and between the osteoporosis group and the osteopenia group based on ISI scores, which was higher in the osteoporosis group. As the ISI score increased, BDI and BAI scores increased as well. There was no correlation between ISI score and quality of life subscales. Conclusion: UI is a common condition among osteoporosis patients and the severity of UI increases with a decrease in BMD. Both osteoporosis and UI could lead to high level of depression and anxiety. The investigation of the presence and severity of UI, questioning of the depression and anxiety in osteoporosis patients would contribute to the management of the disease.