The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an educational intervention that used both cellular phones and the Internet to provide a short messaging service (SMS) relating to blood glucose, blood pressure, and serum lipid levels in postmenopausal women with impaired fasting glucose (IFG).
Twenty-eight postmenopausal women were assigned to an intervention group and twenty-one postmenopausal women to a control group. The intervention was provided for 12 weeks. Patients in the intervention group were asked to access a web site by using a cellular phone or to use the Internet directly and input their blood glucose and blood pressure levels weekly. Participants were sent the optimal recommendations weekly by both cellular phone and Internet.
The intervention group had a mean decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) level of 8.1 mmHg but changes for the control group were not significant. There was a significant mean change in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) level for the intervention group (-7.7 mmHg). The mean change in the control group was not significant.
This educational intervention using the Internet and a SMS by cellular phone improved levels of SBP and DBP in postmenopausal women with IFG.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of stretching, muscle strengthening, and walking exercise on the cardiopulmonary function and health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients.
Twenty-one patients in the intervention and the control group participated in the exercise respectively on maintenance hemodialysis at four university hospitals. The exercise was composed of 20 to 60 min per session, 3 sessions a week for 12 weeks. The effect of exercise was assessed by cardiopulmonary function (peak oxygen uptake, peak ventilation, peak respiration rate, maximal heart rate, and exercise duration) using a cycle ergometer. Grip strength was measured by dynamometer, and flexibility was measured by sit and reach measuring instrument. Health-related quality of life was measured using Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36.
Peak oxygen uptake, peak ventilation, peak respiration rate, exercise duration, grip strength, flexibility, and physical component scale were significantly improved in the intervention group after 12 week's exercise compared to the control group.
These findings indicate the exercise can improve cardiopulmonary function, grip strength, flexibility, and physical component scale of health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients.