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Background: Subcutaneous injections of recombinant human erythropoietin is associated with significant pain at the injection site. The present study evaluated whether lidocaine reduces the pain associated with subcutaneous injection of recombinant human erythropoietin-beta (rhEPO-(beta) and whether coadministration of lidocaine alters the pharmacokinetics of erythropoietin.Methods: Fifteen hundred units of rhEPO-beta (Epogen) or a combination of 1500 units of rhEPO-beta 3 and 0.1 mL of 1% lidocaine (Xylocaine) were administered subcutaneously to 4 study subjects. After injections pain reduction was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS). Blood samples were collected at designated intervals to measure serum erythropoietin (EPO) concentrations. The pharmacokinetic parameters such as area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC[0-48]), peak concentration (C[max]), time to the t[max]), and terminal elimination half-life (t[1/2]) were calculated by the usual methods.Results: The values of VAS were 8.3 +/- 2.3 and 1.7 +/- 1.2 for rhEPO-beta alone and the combination with lidocaine, respectively, indicating that injection pain caused by rhEPO-beta was reduced by the coadministration of lidocaine. The value of AUC[0-48] was 471.2 +/- 176.7 (mean +/- SD) mIU.mL/h for rhEPO-beta and 675.1+/-292.0 mIU.mL/h for the combination; the value of C[max] was 15.3 +/- 3.7 mIU/mL for rhEPO-beta and 24.2 +/- 8.8 mIU/mL for the combination. The value of t[max] was 27.75 +/- 23.41 h and 10.50 +/- 3.87 h for the combination, and the t[max] value was 17.91 +/- 0.30 h for rhEPO-beta and 37.10+/-10.32 h for the combination. However, no significant differences in the pharmacokinetic parameters of EPO were observed between rhEPO-beta injection with or without lidocaine.Conclusion: No significant differences in the bioavailability parameters were observed between rhEPO-beta alone and the combination of rhEPO-beta and lidocaine. Coadministration of lidocaine seems to be effective for pain caused by subcutaneous injection of rhEPO-beta without causing any problems in clinical safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between race pace on a 5 km walking performance and velocity at the lactate threshold (V-LT), VO2 at the lactate threshold (VO2-LT), velocity at which blood lactate corresponded to 4 mM level (V-OBLA), VO2 at which blood lactate corresponded to 4 mM level (VO2-OBLA), walking economy (steady state VO2 at a standard velocity) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in eight female race walkers. A multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was employed to predict the race pace on a 5 km walking performance as dependent variable. Since V-OBLA was highly correlated to 5 km race walking performance (r = 0.94, P less than 0.001), it was selected as the first predictor. When VO2max was added to V-OBLA as the second predictor the predictive accuracy increased significantly, but multiple R did not increase significantly by adding variables of walking economy or other parameters as independent variance. As a result, the combination of V-OBLA and VO2max as independent variables accounted for the greatest amount of total variance (97 per cent). It is suggested that blood lactate variable such as V-OBLA can account for a large portion of the variance in race pace on a 5 km walking performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract Background Although the benefits of the recommended level of physical activity on reducing chronic diseases are well-established, most of the Japanese population is not sufficiently active. Thus, examining correlates is an important prerequisite for designing relevant polices and effective programs. The present study investigated psychological, social, and environmental factors associated with meeting physical activity recommendations among Japanese adults. Methods Data were analyzed for 1,932 men and women (43.6 ± 13.0 years), who responded to an Internet-based cross-sectional survey. Self-reported measure of physical activity, psychological (self-efficacy, pros, and cons), social (social support, health professional advice), environmental (home fitness equipment, access to facilities, neighborhood safety, enjoyable scenery, frequently observing others exercising, residential area), and demographic (gender, age, marital status, educational level, household income level, employment status) variables were obtained. Based on the current national guidelines for exercise in Japan (23 METs·hour per week), respondents were divided into two categories–recommended and not recommended (insufficient and inactive)–according to their estimated weekly physical activity level. An adjusted logistic regression model was utilized. Results When adjusting for all other variables, self-efficacy (men: OR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.55–2.94, women: OR = 2.72; 95% CI: 1.82–4.08) and possessing home fitness equipment (men: OR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.14–2.10, women: OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.01–1.99) for both genders, social support (OR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.06–1.97) for men, and enjoyable scenery (OR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.09–2.36) for women were positively associated with attaining the recommended level of physical activity. In women, cons (OR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.33–0.67) and living in rural areas (OR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.25–0.97) were negatively associated with meeting the physical activity recommendations. Conclusion In the psychological, social, and environmental domains, significant correlates of attaining the recommended level of physical activity were observed. Men and women had different patterns of psychological, social, and environmental correlates. These findings suggest that an intervention design that accounts for those correlates may more effectively promote physical activity among Japanese adults.

Abstract Background The benefits of a recommended level of physical activity on physiological health indicators such as morbidity and mortality are well-accepted, but less research has addressed whether or not the association between the recommended level of physical activity and a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) exists in the Japanese population. Thus, the present study examined whether the recommended physical activity would be associated with HRQOL in the general Japanese middle-aged population. Methods Data were obtained from 1211 male and female respondents (39.4 ± 10.9 year, mean ± SD) from an Internet-based survey of registrants of an Internet research service. Physical activity level was estimated from the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. HRQOL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-8 questionnaire (SF-8). Based on the current national guidelines for exercise in Japan, respondents were divided into a recommended group, an insufficient group, and an inactive group according to their estimated weekly physical activity level. Multivariate analyses of covariance were utilized. Results Across both genders, the recommended group had significantly higher physical functioning (PF) scores than the inactive group (p < .05). Additionally, across both genders, the recommended group had significantly higher general health perception scores than the insufficient and inactive groups (p < .05). The recommended group had significantly higher vitality scores than the insufficient and inactive groups in males, and higher than only the inactive group in females (p < .05). The insufficient group had significantly higher PF scores than the inactive group across both genders (p < .05). The recommended group had significantly higher physical component scores than the inactive group (p = .001). Conclusion Individuals who attained the recommended level of physical activity had better scores on some dimensions of HRQOL than those who did not, suggesting that the recommended level of physical activity may be applicable not only to the physiological objective outcomes but also to some dimensions in both the physical and mental aspects of HRQOL.