Completion of the statement of fitness for work: concise guidance

Doctors are required to issue Form Med 3 (the Statements of Fitness for Work, commonly known as the fit note) where appropriate to patients for whom they provide clinical care. Much sickness absence is attributed to mild or moderate mental ill health, musculoskeletal or cardiorespiratory conditions. The effects of these conditions and others can often be accommodated at work, with appropriate adjustments, adaptations or support if necessary. Employers have a crucial role in achieving this; however, they need advice on the functional effects of the condition to do so. Evidence shows that work can be therapeutic and help promote recovery and rehabilitation. Conversely, unemployment is generally harmful to health and can lead to increased morbidity and poorer physical and mental health, as well as poverty, health inequalities and social exclusion. This concise guideline has been developed to aid doctors in understanding when and how to issue a fit note to the greatest benefit for their patients.     

Health of displaced Albanian Kosovars in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: fitness to travel and health outcomes assessment

INTRODUCTION: During the 1999 conflict in Kosovo, an estimated 850,000 people were displaced from Kosovo. Many thousands of these people arrived in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), for whom a humanitarian evacuation programme (HEP) was conducted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). More than 91,000 people were moved to third countries under this programme. METHODS: A health assessment tool was designed, validated, and implemented to document the health status of the refugees prior to departure. The IOM evaluated 41,652 pre-travel "fitness to travel" medical assessments for refugees transported by the Organization. A colour coding system for fitness-to-travel was used to clearly identify refugees to the receiving health authorities according to their health condition at the time of departure. RESULTS: A total of 41,652 fitness-to-travel assessments were performed between 05 April and 25 June 1999, and were entered into a database. There were 21,923 females and 19,566 males. The average age was 25.3 years (women, 26 years; men, 24.3 years). Of these assessments, 4,647 (11.2%) individuals who were deemed fit-to-travel required medical assessment at the host destination, and of those 1,204 required urgent care. The majority of health complaints were acute respiratory tract infections and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: A rapid and efficient system for fitness-to-travel was created to assist in the management of health issues related to the urgent and mass movement of refugees. The collected health information was of use to health-care planners during the crisis and for those responsible for the health-care of newly arrived refugees. The lessons learned have implications for future similar operations and for the development of research and education programs for both the refugees and the host recipient nations.     

Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health Outcomes: A Call to Standardize Fitness Categories

An inverse association between physical activity or fitness status and health outcomes has been reported by several cohort studies. When fitness categories are established in quartiles or quintiles based on the peak exercise capacity achieved, the association is graded. Although significant health benefits of increased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) have been uniformly reported, the degree of protection has varied substantially between studies. This variability is likely due to varying methods used to define CRF categories, and not considering age, despite its strong effect on CRF. To ameliorate these methodological discrepancies, we propose standardized guidelines by which age-specific CRF categories should be defined.     

Exercise videogames for physical activity and fitness: Design and rationale of the Wii Heart Fitness trial

IntroductionDespite numerous health benefits, less than half of American adults engage in regular physical activity. Exercise videogames (EVG) may be a practical and attractive alternative to traditional forms of exercise. However there is insufficient research to determine whether EVG play alone is sufficient to produce prolonged engagement in physical activity or improvements in cardiovascular fitness and overall health risk. The goal of the present study is to test the efficacy of exercise videogames to increase time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and to improve cardiovascular risk indices among adults.MethodsWii Heart Fitness is a rigorous 3-arm randomized controlled trial with adults comparing three 12-week programs: (1) supervised EVGs, (2) supervised standard exercise, and (3) a control condition. Heart rate is monitored continuously throughout all exercise sessions. Assessments are conducted at baseline, end of intervention (week 12), 6 and 9 months. The primary outcome is time spent in MVPA physical activity. Secondary outcomes include changes in cardiovascular fitness, body composition, blood lipid profiles and maintenance of physical activity through six months post-treatment. Changes in cognitive and affective constructs derived from Self Determination and Social Cognitive Theories will be examined to explain the differential outcomes between the two active treatment conditions.ConclusionThe Wii Heart Fitness study is designed to test whether regular participation in EVGs can be an adequate source of physical activity for adults. This study will produce new data on the effect of EVGs on cardiovascular fitness indices and prolonged engagement with physical activity.     

Echocardiography to measure fitness of elite runners.

We evaluated the echocardiograms of 134 male and 54 female elite runners who competed over different distances to observe cardiac enlargement and differences among athletes engaged in different types of training, and to relate the echographic dimension with running performance. In male runners, left ventricular (LV) internal diameter at end diastole (LVIDd), LV mass, and left atrial diameter were increased by the length of distance ( P < .001) whereas right ventricular diameter was increased only in marathon runners. In female runners, this association was found when LVIDd, LV mass, and left atrial diameter were adjusted for body surface area ( P < .001). Wall thickness was not related to distance running. Abnormal LV dilation was associated with a low LV ejection fraction for the higher values of LVIDd, but not for the higher indexed LVIDd values. In male runners, LVIDd was associated with 100 m ( r = -0.67, P < .01), 10,000 m ( r = -0.70, P < .001), and marathon ( r = -0.54, P < .001) and in female runners with a 400-m ( r = -0.84, P < .001) race time. These results show that sprint- and endurance-trained runners had an eccentric hypertrophy and that it is necessary to establish a new upper limit of abnormal cavity dilatation as indexed LVIDd. The normal systolic function and the relationship between LVIDd and performance indicate that LV enlargement in elite runners is a physiologic adaptation and that echocardiographic assessment can be used to determine the fitness of runners.     

Motion sickness. How to help your patients avoid travel travail.

Motion sickness is an exceedingly common disorder about which primary care physicians are likely to be consulted for advice and treatment. Appropriate management should be based on patient characteristics and the type and length of the exposure and should include general preventive recommendations and directed pharmacologic agents. Education for patients about the causes of motion sickness and how to prevent it can alleviate anxiety and enhance their enjoyment of travel and recreation.