 |
 |
|
Rapid Responses to:
|
|
Electronic letters published:
![[Read Rapid Response]](/icons/misc/sectionDOWN.gif){kind=icon}
Effects of aerobic physical exercise and atherosclerosis in men
Misleading Conclusions
|
|
|||
|
Th. F.M. Fennis, MD Atrium Medical Centre, J. W. Vredeveld
Send rapid response to journal:
ass641{at}atriummc.nl Th. F.M. Fennis, et al.
|
23 July 2004 To the editor: Rauramaa and colleagues (1) report that physical exercise slows progression of atherosclerosis in men not taking statins. Their way of measuring the progression of atherosclerosis is, however, invalid. They report having used an ultrasound device with a high-resolution 10 MHz transducer to measure the intima-media thickness in the carotid bifurcation. The velocity of sound in tissue is 1540 m/sec. Wavelength is calculated by dividing this velocity through frequency, thus wavelength equals 0,154 mm. It is commonly accepted that the standard measurement error is 2 to 3 times this wavelength. The difference noted in the article in the subgroup analysis of men not taking statins is 0,08 mm in favor of the exercise group. This difference falls well within the measurement error. Furthermore, because it is smaller than the wavelength it is, by definition, not reliable. Th F.M. Fennis, MD and J.W. Vredeveld, MD, Ph.D. Atrium Medical Centre Heerlen The Netherlands 1. Rauramaa R, Halonen P, Vaisanen SB, Lakka TA, Schmidt-Trucksass A, Berg A, Penttila IM, Rankinen T, Bouchard C. Effects of aerobic physical exercise on inflammation and atherosclerosis in men: the DNASCO Study: a six-year, randomized, controlled trial. Ann Int Med. 2004;140:1007-14. [PMID: 15197018] Conflict of Interest:None declared |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Vernon C Jones, B.S. Engineering none
Send rapid response to journal:
parkrowj{at}aol.com Vernon C Jones
|
How many of the 140 men were in the subgroup that were taking statins? Exercise clearly indicated a 40% advantage in the normal man, that is, not taking statins. This study is an example of faulty reporting. Many will see the conclusion that states that physical exercise did not attenuate the progression of atherosclerosis and without thought will accept this as fact. How can the truth be brought to the public when the pharmaceutical industry pays for and controls how reports are presented? This is a financial conflict of interest pure and simple. The American public is becomming wise to people such as C. Bouchard of LSU receiving honoraria and or grants from the likes of Bristol-Myers Squibb while representing what should be an unbiased and objective, easy to interpret, report of a "randomized" controlled trial. Conflict of Interest:None declared |
|||
