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Project

Metabolic syndrome in bipolar disorder: relationships with physical activity, physical fitness and functional exercise capacity.

Individuals with mood disorders have a high risk for cardiovascular diseases. The lack of physical activity and a limited physical fitness are known to be important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Individuals with mood disorders should therefore especially be motivated to adopt an active lifestyle. In order to offer clear guidelines, there is first need for reliable assessment. In this research project we want to evaluate the reliability of easy-to-use physical fitness field-tests. Questions on which we hope to find an answer are: (1) if we repeat these tests twice in one person, do we obtain the same results, (2) are there any practice effects, i.e. do participants perform systematically better on the second occasion (offered within 3 days) or not? We also want to investigate whether these physical fitness tests and a frequently used physical activity questionnaire really measure what that are meant to measure. In order to find an answer on this question we will ask our patients to perform a golden standard cycle test in a laboratory situation and we will ask them to wear a bracelet which objectively measures their physical activity level for 7 days. We will compare the data obtained in our field tests and throughout the physical activity questionnaires with the data we will obtain by these highly sophisticated and objective assessment tools. We also would like to know if the level of physical fitness is associated with the level of physical activity and whether age, gender, illness duration, psychiatric and physical symptoms do explain partially the level of physical fitness and physical activity. In a last phase, we will bring all our data together and collect systematically all the available knowledge on physical activity and physical fitness. Afterwards, we will formulate together with several experts from different disciplines and different countries new clinical practice guidelines for the use of physical activity in patients with mood disorders.

Date:1 Oct 2013 →  30 Sep 2016
Keywords:Bipolar disorder
Disciplines:Laboratory medicine, Palliative care and end-of-life care, Regenerative medicine, Other basic sciences, Other health sciences, Nursing, Other paramedical sciences, Other translational sciences, Other medical and health sciences