1. Investigación

Las consecuencias de la obesidad y la hipertensión a nivel mundial alertan de la urgencia por implementar estrategias que promuevan de manera efectiva la prevención y el tratamiento del fenotipo obesidad-hipertensión. Estas deben perseguir objetivos clínicos tales como controlar la presión arterial y la composición corporal (pérdida de grasa y ganancia de masa muscular), mejorar la capacidad cardiorrespiratoria y la capacidad funcional, y reducir la polifarmacia. En este sentido, las guías clínicas más recientes sobre hipertensión arterial y obesidad coinciden en que promover un estilo de vida saludable debe ser el primer paso a considerar en estos pacientes. Para lograr estos cambios, el proceso debe basarse en dos pilares fundamentales: la actividad física regular y la conducta alimentaria saludable. Durante la pandemia por COVID-19, la literatura académica registró una disminución dramática en el nivel de actividad física y un aumento de patrones de alimentación poco saludables, siendo especialmente preocupante en pacientes con condiciones metabólicas asociadas. En este sentido, las intervenciones online han demostrado durante mucho tiempo ser un medio eficaz para promover estilos de vida saludables, y el asesoramiento a través de vídeos también se considera una forma efectiva de guiar a los pacientes a través de intervenciones conductuales. No obstante, hasta donde sabemos, ninguna investigación ha analizado los efectos de una segunda intervención (reintervención) con un programa online, ni tampoco la influencia que tiene la presencia audiovisual del médico particular de pacientes con obesidad, hipertensión o cualquier otro tipo de enfermedad cardiovascular. Por tanto, con intención de dar respuesta a las cuestiones descritas con anterioridad, y poder llenar así el vacío existente en la literatura científica ─específicamente de aquellos aspectos que pudieran potenciar aún más la eficacia de intervenciones online orientadas a la promoción de estilos de vida saludables, como es el programa ‘Vivir Mejor’─, este proyecto de investigación (AICO/2019/331) llevó a cabo los dos estudios que se detallan a continuación. El Estudio 1 - “Reintervención”, en el que decidimos implementar una segunda intervención con el mismo programa ‘Vivir Mejor’ en un grupo de adultos con sobrepeso u obesidad e hipertensión, para reforzar las mejoras obtenidas tras la primera intervención y evitar que fueran disminuyendo con el tiempo, así como tratar de reducir los posibles efectos negativos generados por la pandemia de COVID-19 sobre el estilo de vida de estos pacientes. Este primer estudio muestra que el programa online ‘Vivir Mejor’ mantiene los beneficios a largo plazo (3 años) sobre la salud de un grupo de pacientes con obesidad e hipertensión. Además, tras la reintervención de 12 semanas con el mismo programa, los participantes consiguen mejorar nuevamente los resultados alcanzados en la primera intervención. En el Estudio 2 - “Su propio médico” se pretendió analizar la influencia que ejerce ─en pacientes con fenotipo obesidad-hipertensión─ la identidad del médico protagonista que aparece en el contenido audiovisual del programa online ‘Vivir Mejor’, comparando los resultados obtenidos por aquellos pacientes que vieran a su propio médico especialista en hipertensión dándoles las indicaciones, en comparación con los que siguieran a un médico ajeno. Los resultados obtenidos tras la aplicación del programa online ‘Vivir Mejor’ en el segundo estudio sugieren, por primera vez, que la presencia del médico particular de los pacientes en el contenido audiovisual de un programa de intervención online ─dirigido a promover un estilo de vida saludable a través del ejercicio físico regular y hábitos alimentarios saludables─ no muestra beneficios adicionales significativos sobre la eficacia del asesoramiento electrónico en pacientes con fenotipo obesidad-hipertensión.

‘Living Better’, a self-administered web-based intervention, designed to facilitate lifestyle changes, has already shown positive short- and medium-term health benefits in patients with an obesity–hypertension phenotype. The objectives of this study were: (1) to examine the long-term (3-year) evolution of a group of hypertensive overweight or obese patients who had already followed the ‘Living Better’ program; (2) to analyze the effects of completing this program a second time (reintervention) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A quasi-experimental design was used. We recruited 29 individuals from the 105 who had participated in our first study. We assessed and compared their systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), body mass index (BMI), eating behavior, and physical activity (PA) level (reported as METs-min/week), at Time 0 (first intervention follow-up), Time 1 (before the reintervention), and Time 2 (post-reintervention). Our results showed significant improvements between Time 1 and Time 2 in SBP (􀀀4.7 (􀀀8.7 to 􀀀0.7); p = 0.017), DBP (􀀀3.5 (􀀀6.2 to 􀀀0.8); p = 0.009), BMI (􀀀0.7 (􀀀1.0 to 􀀀0.4); p < 0.001), emotional eating (􀀀2.8 (􀀀5.1 to 􀀀0.5); p = 0.012), external eating (􀀀1.1 (􀀀2.1 to 􀀀0.1); p = 0.039), and PA (Time 1: 2308 2266; Time 2: 3203 3314; p = 0.030, Z = 􀀀2.17). Statistical analysis showed no significant differences in SPB, DBP, BMI, and eating behavior between Time 0 and Time 1 (p > 0.24). Implementation of the ‘Living Better’ program maintained positive long-term (3-year) health benefits in patients with an obesity–hypertension phenotype. Moreover, a reintervention with this program during the COVID-19 pandemic produced significant improvements in blood pressure, BMI, eating behavior, and PA.

Vibratory platforms (VPs) and unstable footwear (UF) have both shown benefits on balance in some populations. However, there is no evidence about the combined effects of using UF while training on an VP in healthy and physically active young people. We aimed to evaluate the effects of wearing unstable footwear (UF) while training on a whole-body VP on balance in healthy, physically active young people. 23 participants were randomized into groups assigned UF (n = 11) or stable footwear (SF; n = 12). Both groups followed the same training program on an VP with the assigned footwear type twice a week for 12 weeks. The training consisted of performing 8 isometric exercises for progressively longer periods and higher oscillation amplitudes (15–60 s, 1–3 mm), at a fixed vibration frequency (20 Hz). The main outcomes were the antero-posterior and medio-lateral velocities of the center of pressure (COP) recorded using a plantar pressure corridor at baseline, post-treatment and 1-month follow-up. We found a statistically significant difference in the antero-posterior velocity during the monopodal test in the UF group between the different time-points (χ2(2) = 13.282, p = 0.001). Mediolateral COP velocity ranking during the bipodal test was lower for UF than for SF group (U = 19.50, z = − 2.86, p = 0.003) at follow-up. The traditional vibratory platform training does not seem to be effective to improve static balance in physically active young people, however, adding UF provided slightly greater effect.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has implied worldwide the imposition of confinement measures and mobility restrictions, to a greater or lesser extent. It has also meant the closure of some public medical services such as reproductive care. This situation may have impacted the health-related behaviour and quality of life of women with fertility problems. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyse the effects of confinement and the suspension of reproductive medical care on the lifestyle (diet, physical exercise, and smoking habits), anxiety and depression, and quality of life of infertile women by comparing their pre- and post-confinement situations. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional, internet-based study. Information was collected on these women’s adherence to theMediterranean diet (MEDAS questionnaire), physical exercise (IPAQ-SF), anxiety and depression (HADS), and quality of life related to fertility (FertiQol) before, during, and after confinement. The survey was conducted between 1 September and 28 October 2020. Results: A total of 85 women participated. There had been a significant increase in anxiety and depression levels (P < 0.001) and an increase in tobacco consumption among female smokers during confinement vs. pre-confinement (62.5% had increased their consumption). The participants had also increased the mean number of hours they spent sitting (P < 0.001). There had also been an increase in vigorous and moderate exercise levels by 40 and 30%, respectively (P = 0.004). However, no differences were observed in these patients’ eating habits as a result of confinement (P = 0.416). When the reproduction service was resumed, the participants showed higher anxiety level scores (P = 0.001) with respect to the pre-confinement situation as well as lower mean FertiQol scale score (P = 0.008). Conclusions: Confinement had increased anxiety and depression levels among these infertile women as well as tobacco use among the participants who were smokers. The prolonged closure of reproductive care units decreased the quality of life of the participants of this study. These results suggest the need to implement online programs to improve healthy habits and quality of life of this population group.