Response to: Additional Thoughts on a Topical Body Firming Moisturizer for Upper Arm Rejuvenation.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Kavali C
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8438640 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundOver time human skin thins and loses elasticity; topical treatments attempt to reverse this process.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of TransFORM Body Treatment (TFB) in skin rejuvenation compared to a bland moisturizer on the extensor and volar forearms.MethodsBlinded participants were given 2 products to apply on the designated forearms with follow-up at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Measurements included skin thickness, photography, dermatopathology, cutaneous elasticity determined by 2 different methods, and patient-reported outcomes. All were compared to baseline.ResultsChanges between bland moisturizer and TFB were recorded for the following parameters. (1) Roughness: extensor -0.09 mm for bland moisturizer and -0.26 mm for TFB (P = 0.174); volar 0.01 mm for bland moisturizer and -0.23 mm for TFB (P = 0.004). (2) Recoil velocity: volar -56°/sec for bland moisturizer and -24°/sec for TFB (P = 0.61); extensor -95°/sec for bland moisturizer and -63°/sec for TFB (P = 0.57). Retraction speed: volar -3.25 ms for bland moisturizer and -20.08 ms for TFB (P = 0.33); extensor -2.17 ms for bland moisturizer and -10.83 ms for TFB (P = 0.66). Histologically, TFB resulted in an increase in mucopolysaccharide content, new collagen, and number of elastin fibers in the papillary dermis. Changes in the Rao-Goldman score were also observed: volar -0.17 for bland moisturizer and -0.33 for TFB (P = 0.25); extensor -0.08 for bland moisturizer and -0.17 for TFB (P = 0.36).ConclusionsHistology showed production of new collagen and elastin. Quantification of changes in skin thickness, skin retraction speed, and skin recoil velocity showed trends that agree with the visual data.Level of evidence: 4
| S-EPMC8361352 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ProblemTo determine the safety and efficacy of topical corticosteroid versus vehicle/moisturizer in children under 2 years old (<2 y).Eligibility criteriaA systematic review and meta-analysis searching PubMed MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, DARE, NHS Economic Evaluation, CINAHL, GREAT, and Clinicaltrials.gov. We selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing topical corticosteroids to vehicle/moisturizer and included children <2 y. Two authors extracted data.SampleOnly one study limited analyses to children <2 y, so our review included participants older than 2 years. Twelve RCTs were included with 2224 participants. Ten studies were industry-sponsored.ResultsThe proportion of responders to topical corticosteroid across studies was 0.65 (95% CI, 0.54-0.74), as compared to vehicle/moisturizer 0.32 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.20-0.48). The proportion of adverse events were similar between groups (topical steroids 0.17 (95% CI, 0.08-0.33) vs. vehicle/moisturizer 0.12 (CI 0.02-0.42)). High heterogeneity in treatment response occurred across studies that could not be explained by potential moderators. Mild adrenal suppression occurred in 4 of 157 measured participants (3%) receiving topical corticosteroids. Limitations include the few RCTs on this topic, the inclusion of participants >2 y and outcome measures and reporting methods rarely met CONSORT guidelines.ConclusionsTopical corticosteroids trended to being more effective and equally safe to vehicle/moisturizers, but generalizability is limited given the dearth of well-designed studies focused on children <2 y. Adverse events from vehicle/moisturizer may be greater than topical corticosteroid due to under treatment.ImplicationsFurther work is needed in this age group.
| S-EPMC7444023 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAesthetic practice relies on a harmonious relationship between medicine and commerce. Bridging the gap is a large number of skincare products that make therapeutic claims while avoiding the regulatory framework of pharmaceuticals. In this gray area, clinicians find themselves poorly disposed to counsel patients wisely as the industry is expanding faster than empirical evidence of efficacy and safety can be acquired. To serve our patients and engage with industry, we must understand the theoretical principles and evaluate the clinical evidence in practice.ObjectivesThe purpose of this paper is to classify cosmeceuticals by method of action, explain how they work in principle with reference to skin aging, and evaluate the clinical evidence for them.MethodsA literature and cosmetic clinic website search was conducted to establish a list of the most commonly advertised cosmeceuticals, and a peer-reviewed literature search was then conducted to establish the clinical evidence for them.ResultsA huge number of cosmeceuticals are marketed for skin rejuvenation but almost invariably they fall into 1 of 4 categories. These include the induction of tissue repair mechanisms, inflammatory modulation, scavenging of reactive oxygen species, or a combination of the 3. With the exception of retinol derivatives and hydroxy acids, the clinical evidence is limited, despite promising preclinical evidence for several cosmeceuticals.ConclusionsCosmeceuticals reside within a highly competitive ecosystem and are often brought to market based on preclinical, not clinical evidence. Success and failure will largely be governed by the establishment of clinical evidence in retrospect.
| S-EPMC9905273 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionEvaluation of the effect of human upper-body training regimens may benefit from knowledge of local energy expenditure in arm muscles. To that end, we developed a novel arm-crank ergometry platform for use in a clinical magnetic resonance (MR) scanner with 31P spectroscopy capability to study arm muscle energetics. Complementary datasets on heart-rate, whole-body oxygen consumption, proximal arm-muscle electrical activity and power output, were obtained in a mock-up scanner. The utility of the platform was tested by a preliminary study over 4 weeks of skill practice on the efficiency of execution of a dynamic arm-cranking task in healthy subjects.ResultsThe new platform successfully recorded the first ever in vivo 31P MR spectra from the human biceps brachii (BB) muscle during dynamic exercise in five healthy subjects. Changes in BB energy- and pH balance varied considerably between individuals. Surface electromyography and mechanical force recordings revealed that individuals employed different arm muscle recruitment strategies, using either predominantly elbow flexor muscles (pull strategy; two subjects), elbow extensor muscles (push strategy; one subject) or a combination of both (two subjects). The magnitude of observed changes in BB energy- and pH balance during ACT execution correlated closely with each strategy. Skill practice improved muscle coordination but did not alter individual strategies. Mechanical efficiency on group level seemed to increase as a result of practice, but the outcomes generated by the new platform showed the additional caution necessary for the interpretation that total energy cost was actually reduced at the same workload.ConclusionThe presented platform integrates dynamic in vivo 31P MRS recordings from proximal arm muscles with whole-body calorimetry, surface electromyography and biomechanical measurements. This new methodology enables evaluation of cyclic motor performance and outcomes of upper-body training regimens in healthy novices. It may be equally useful for investigations of exercise physiology in lower-limb impaired athletes and wheelchair users as well as frail patients including patients with debilitating muscle disease and the elderly.
| S-EPMC7933461 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesElectronic health records (EHR) are a convenient data source for clinical trial recruitment and allow for inexpensive participant screening. However, EHR may lack pertinent screening variables. One strategy is to identify surrogate EHR variables which can predict the screening variable of interest. In this article, we use BMI to develop a prediction rule for arm circumference using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. This work applies to EHR patient screening for clinical trials of hypertension.MethodsWe included 11 585 participants aged 52-75 years with BMI and arm circumference measured at ARIC follow-up visit 4 (1996-1998). We selected the following arm circumference cutpoints based on the American Heart Association recommendations for blood pressure (BP) cuffs: small adult (≤26 cm), adult (≤34 cm) and large adult (≤44 cm). We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of BMI values for predicting arm circumference using receiver operating characteristic curves. We report the BMI threshold that maximized Youden's Index for each arm circumference upper limit of a BP cuff.ResultsParticipants' mean BMI and arm circumference were 28.8 ± 5.6 kg/m2 and 33.4 ± 4.3 cm, respectively. The BMI-arm circumference Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.86. The BMI threshold for arm circumference≤26 cm was 23.0 kg/m2, arm circumference≤34 cm was 29.2 kg/m2 and arm circumference≤44 cm was 37.4 kg/m2. Only the BMI threshold for arm circumference≤34 cm varied significantly by sex.ConclusionsBMI predicts arm circumference with high sensitivity and specificity and can be an accurate surrogate variable for arm circumference. These findings are useful for participant screening for hypertension trials. Providers can use this information to counsel patients on appropriate cuff size for BP self-monitoring.
| S-EPMC8734618 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The purpose of this study was to determine a performance-enhancing effect of post-activation potentiation (PAP) stimulus on climbing-specific upper body power exercises, measured by the IRCRA Power Slap test on a campus board. Two groups of climbers performed the test under one of two conditions: without initial pre-loading (control group) or after 5RM (repetition maximum) pull-ups (PAP group). The test was performed at four time points: at baseline (PRE) and after 4 (POST4), 6 (POST6), and 8 (POST8) minutes of a PAP stimulus (PAP group) or after the same rest period lengths (control group). The results showed that post-baseline slap distances were significantly greater in the experimental group while no change was seen in the control group [repeated measures ANOVA: F ( 3,42 ) = 6.26, p = 0.001]. Post hoc analysis revealed no significant difference between any of the post-baseline trials in both groups. The mean improvement in the first POST4 test in the experimental (PAP) group was +6.5 cm (6.8%). The results of the present study suggest that PAP might be beneficial for acute improvement of upper body power performance in climbers. Therefore we conclude that such stimuli might be advisable for climbers as a part of the warm-up before bouldering competitions and training as well. They might also offer a stronger stimulus for climbers working on power development.
| S-EPMC7108669 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesThe aim was to compare the effect of upper and lower body high-intensity exercise on chosen genes expression in athletes and non-athletes.MethodFourteen elite male artistic gymnasts (EAG) aged 20.6 ± 3.3 years and 14 physically active men (PAM) aged 19.9 ± 1.0 years performed lower and upper body 30 s Wingate Tests. Blood samples were collected before, 5 and 30 minutes after each effort to assess gene expression via PCR.ResultsSignificantly higher mechanical parameters after lower body exercise was observed in both groups, for relative power (8.7 ± 1.2 W/kg in gymnasts, 7.2 ± 1.2 W/kg in controls, p = 0.01) and mean power (6.7 ± 0.7 W/kg in gymnasts, 5.4 ± 0.8 W/kg in controls, p = 0.01). No differences in lower versus upper body gene expression were detected for all tested genes as well as between gymnasts and physical active man. For IL-6 m-RNA time-dependent effect was observed.ConclusionsBecause of no significant differences in expression of genes associated with cellular stress response the similar adaptive effect to exercise may be obtained so by lower and upper body exercise.
| S-EPMC5283744 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Robot-based rehabilitation for persons post-stroke may improve arm function and daily-life activities as measured by clinical scales, but its effects on motor strategies during functional tasks are still poorly investigated. This study aimed at assessing the effects of robot-therapy versus arm-specific physiotherapy in persons post-stroke on motor strategies derived from upper body instrumented kinematic analysis, and on arm function measured by clinical scales. METHODS:Forty persons in the sub-acute and chronic stage post-stroke were recruited. This sample included all those subjects, enrolled in a larger bi-center study, who underwent instrumented kinematic analysis and who were randomized in Center 2 into Robot (R_Group) and Control Group (C_Group). R_Group received robot-assisted training. C_Group received arm-specific treatment delivered by a physiotherapist. Pre- and post-training assessment included clinical scales and instrumented kinematic analysis of arm and trunk during a virtual untrained task simulating the transport of an object onto a shelf. Instrumented outcomes included shoulder/elbow coordination, elbow extension and trunk sagittal compensation. Clinical outcomes included Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment of Upper Extremity (FM-UE), modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). RESULTS:R_Group showed larger post-training improvements of shoulder/elbow coordination (Cohen's d = - 0.81, p = 0.019), elbow extension (Cohen's d = - 0.71, p = 0.038), and trunk movement (Cohen's d = - 1.12, p = 0.002). Both groups showed comparable improvements in clinical scales, except proximal muscles MAS that decreased more in R_Group (Cohen's d = - 0.83, p = 0.018). Ancillary analyses on chronic subjects confirmed these results and revealed larger improvements after robot-therapy in the proximal portion of FM-UE (Cohen's d = 1.16, p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS:Robot-assisted rehabilitation was as effective as arm-specific physiotherapy in reducing arm impairment (FM-UE) in persons post-stroke, but it was more effective in improving motor control strategies adopted during an untrained task involving vertical movements not practiced during training. Specifically, robot therapy induced larger improvements of shoulder/elbow coordination and greater reduction of abnormal trunk sagittal movements. The beneficial effects of robot therapy seemed more pronounced in chronic subjects. Future studies on a larger sample should be performed to corroborate present findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION:www.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03530358. Registered 21 May 2018. Retrospectively registered.
| S-EPMC6990497 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study introduces a compact low-cost single degree of freedom end-effector type upper arm rehabilitation system (PARS) along with its hardware and software elements. Proposed system is also suitable to be used in conjunction with a gaming environment. Throughout the study structural setup of the system was explained in detail along with its electronics, control system and gaming software. Introduced virtual gaming interface supports various game levels with different difficulties generated via interaction type control algorithms. Having simple structural design constructed by using basic available components, proposed system can be easily manufactured and utilized in physical rehabilitation procedures by using supplied open source codes. Introduced systems compactness and user friendly interface also allow its usage for individual home therapies for remote rehabilitation treatment procedures.
| S-EPMC9058851 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy of non-hormonal, hyaluronic acid (HLA)-based vaginal gel in improving vulvovaginal estrogen-deprivation symptoms in women with a history of endometrial cancer.MethodsFor this single-arm, prospective, longitudinal trial, we enrolled disease-free women with a history of endometrial cancer who underwent surgery (total hysterectomy) and postoperative radiation. Participants used HLA daily for the first 2 weeks, and then 3×/week until weeks 12-14; dosage was then increased to 5×/week for non-responders. Vulvovaginal symptoms and pH were assessed at 4 time points (baseline [T1]; 4-6 weeks [T2]; 12-14 weeks [T3]; 22-24 weeks [T4]) with clinical evaluation, the Vaginal Assessment Scale (VAS), Vulvar Assessment Scale (VuAS), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and Menopausal Symptom Checklist (MSCL).ResultsOf 43 patients, mean age was 59 years (range, 38-78); 54% (23/43) were partnered; and 49% (21/43) were sexually active. VAS, VuAS, MSCL, and SAQ (Sexual Activity Questionnaire) scores significantly improved from baseline to each assessment point (all p < .002). FSFI total mean scores significantly increased from T1 to T2 (p < .05) and from T1 to T4 (p < .03). At T1, 41% (16/39) felt confident about future sexual activity compared to 68% (17/25) at T4 (p = .096). Severely elevated vaginal pH (>6.5) decreased from 30% (13/43) at T1 to 19% (5/26) at T4 (p = .41).ConclusionThe HLA-based gel improved vulvovaginal health and sexual function of endometrial cancer survivors in perceived symptoms and clinical exam outcomes. HLA administration 1-2×/week is recommended for women in natural menopause; a 3-5×/week schedule appears more effective for symptom relief in cancer survivors.
| S-EPMC7423634 | biostudies-literature