Our meta analysis of a homogeneous set of studies is the first to provide valuable LLNs for fiber CSA according to fiber type and gender .
Skeletal muscle atrophy is a major systemic impairment in chronic diseases .
Yet its determinants have been hard to identify because a clear research definition has not been agreed upon .
The reduction in muscle fiber cross-sectional area ( CSA ) is a widely acknowledged marker of muscle atrophy , but no reference values for the muscle fiber CSA at the age of the onset of chronic disease have ever been published .
Skeletal muscle effects of electrostimulation after COPD exacerbation: a pilot study
Muscle dysfunction is a major problem in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) , particularly after exacerbations . We thus asked whether neuromuscular electrostimulation ( NMES ) might be directly useful following an acute exacerbation and if such a therapy decreases muscular oxidative stress and /or alters muscle fibre distribution . A pilot r and omised controlled study of NMES lasting 6 weeks was carried out in 15 in- patients ( n=9 NMES ; n=6 sham ) following a COPD exacerbation . Stimulation was delivered to the quadriceps and hamstring muscles ( 35 Hz ) . Primary outcomes were quadriceps force and muscle oxidative stress . At the end of the study , quadriceps force improvement was statistically different between groups ( p=0.02 ) , with a significant increase only in the NMES group ( median ( interquartile range ) 10 ( 4.7–11.5 ) kg ; p=0.01 ) . Changes in the 6-min walking distance were statistically different between groups ( p=0.008 ) , with a significant increase in the NMES group ( 165 ( 125–203 ) m ; p=0.003 ) . NMES did not lead to higher muscle oxidative stress , as indicated by the decrease in total protein carbonylation ( p=0.02 ) and myosin heavy chain carbonylation ( p=0.01 ) levels . Finally , we observed a significant increase in type I fibre proportion in the NMES group . Our study shows that following COPD exacerbation , NMES is effective in counteracting muscle dysfunction and decreases muscle oxidative stress
Our meta analysis of a homogeneous set of studies is the first to provide valuable LLNs for fiber CSA according to fiber type and gender .
Skeletal muscle atrophy is a major systemic impairment in chronic diseases .
Yet its determinants have been hard to identify because a clear research definition has not been agreed upon .
The reduction in muscle fiber cross-sectional area ( CSA ) is a widely acknowledged marker of muscle atrophy , but no reference values for the muscle fiber CSA at the age of the onset of chronic disease have ever been published .