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Although poor cardiorespiratory function is a powerful predictor of mortality in patients with obesity, functional evaluation has been given little attention after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). The aim of this study was thus to investigate the impact of LSG on functional capacity analysing a shorter and longer post-surgical follow-up. In this observational study, 24 patients with severe obesity (BMI 44.04 ± 5.84 kg/m2, age 47.0 ± 9.0 years) performed cardiopulmonary exercise testing 7 months pre-, 6 and 16 months post-LSG. Exercise capacity, oxygen uptake and VO2 kinetics were analysed during treadmill exercise testing. Although patients showed an improved peak work capacity after LSG, parameters of maximal absolute aerobic capacity demonstrated a significant decrease, which was confirmed also in the follow-up analysis. Furthermore, the time constant Tau (τ) of the fundamental component of VO2 kinetics was altered by LSG, however, within the 16 months of follow-up it returned towards baseline values. It can thus be concluded that LSG improved peak work capacity along with a lower maximal absolute aerobic capacity, which might be due to a loss of muscle mass and potentially impaired peripheral oxidative muscle metabolism. However, VO2 kinetics might suggest an initial restoration of peripheral oxidative muscle capacity after a longer follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the available data on the cardiovascular screening of athletes come from Italy, with fewer records being available outside of Italy and for non-Caucasian populations. The goals of the SMILE project (Sport Medicine Intervention to save Lives through ECG) are to evaluate the usefulness of 12-lead ECGs for the detection of cardiac diseases in athletes from three European countries and one African country and to estimate how many second-level examinations are needed subsequent to the initial screening in order to classify athletes with abnormal characteristics. A digital network consisting of Sport Centres and second and third opinion centres was set up in Greece, Germany, France and Algeria. Standard digital data input was carried out through the application of 12-lead ECGs, Bethesda questionnaires and physical examinations. Two hundred ninety-three of the 6,634 consecutive athletes required further evaluation, mostly (88.4 %) as a consequence of abnormal ECGs. After careful evaluation, 237 were determined to be healthy or apparently healthy, while 56 athletes were found to have cardiac disorders and were thus disqualified from active participation in sports. There was a large difference in the prevalence of diseases detected in Europe as compared with Algeria (0.23 and 4.01 %, respectively). Our data confirmed the noteworthy value of 12-lead resting ECGs as compared with other first-level evaluations, especially in athletes with asymptomatic cardiac diseases. Its value seems to have been even higher in Algeria than in the European countries. The establishment of a digital network of Sport Centres for second/third opinions in conjunction with the use of standard digital data input seems to be a valuable means for increasing the effectiveness of screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]