Kuan-Yin Lin

Effects of Yoga on Psychological Health, Quality of Life, and Physical Health of Patients with Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Yoga is one of the most widely used complementary and alternative medicine therapies to manage illness. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the effects of yoga on psychological health, quality of life, and physical health of patients with cancer. Studies were identified through a systematic search of seven electronic databases and were selected if they used a randomized controlled trial design to examine the effects of yoga in patients with cancer. The quality of each article was rated by two of the authors using the PEDro Scale. Ten articles were selected; their PEDro scores ranged from 4 to 7. The yoga groups compared to waitlist control groups or supportive therapy groups showed significantly greater improvements in psychological health: anxiety (P = .009), depression (P = .002), distress (P = .003), and stress (P = .006). However, due to the mixed and low to fair quality and small number of studies conducted, the findings are preliminary and limited and should be confirmed through higher-quality, randomized controlled trials.

Comparison of the Effects of a Supervised Exercise Program and Usual Care in Patients With Colorectal Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy

Background: Although exercise has been addressed as a promising therapy for cancer adverse effects, few studies have evaluated the beneficial effects of exercise for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients during chemotherapy. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of supervised-exercise intervention with those of usual care on cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, fatigue, emotional distress, sleep quality, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with CRC undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: Patients with stage II or III CRC admitted for adjuvant chemotherapy were allocated to either a supervised-exercise group that received a combined aerobic and resistance exercise program or a “usual care” control group for 12 weeks. The outcomes, QoL, muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, emotional distress, physical activity, fatigue, and sleep quality, were assessed at baseline and after intervention. Results: Significant interactions between intervention and time were observed for the role functioning and pain subscales of QoL and physical activity level. The time main effects were significant for the secondary outcomes: hand-grip strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity level, and physical functioning, role functioning, social functioning, fatigue, and pain subscales of QoL. Conclusion: Compared with usual care, the supervised exercise demonstrated larger effects than usual care on physical activity level and role functioning and pain subscales of QoL. Implications for Practice: Supervised-exercise program is suggested to be incorporated as part of supportive care to promote the cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, physical activity level, and QoL of patients with CRC undergoing chemotherapy.

Risk factors for sternal complications after cardiac operations: A systematic review

Early detection of patients at risk of sternal complications is essential to facilitate prevention and optimize timely intervention. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to identify risk factors associated with sternal complications. The review included 17 full-text studies, of which 10 were entered into meta-analyses. Female gender, diabetes mellitus, obesity, bilateral internal mammary artery grafts, reoperation for postoperative complications, and blood product requirement were reported as significant predictors of sternal infection. The compilation of these risk factors may help to screen and stratify patients at risk of impaired sternal healing and warrants further investigation.

Pelvic floor muscle training for bowel dysfunction following colorectal cancer surgery: A systematic review

To identify, evaluate and synthesize the evidence examining the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) on bowel dysfunction in patients who have undergone colorectal cancer surgery.

The Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire is a valid measure of pelvic floor symptoms in patients following surgery for colorectal cancer.

This study evaluated the construct validity of the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire against two alternative measures of the severity of bladder and bowel symptoms.