This study evaluates the association between sedentary behaviour, physical activity, and the cardiometabolic health of Multiple Sclerosis via several cardiovascular, metabolic and anthropometric parameters.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune, inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system, predominantly affecting young to middle-aged adults. The disease manifests in a broad spectrum of associated sensory, motor and psychological dysfunction, and there is a large variability in symptoms between (and within) persons with MS (PwMS). This can (partly) be explained by the co-existence of cardiometabolic (CM) diseases, such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance or diabetes. More specifically, the presence of one or more of these CM diseases has been associated with a worsening of disability, independent of the timing of their development (at MS symptom onset, diagnosis, or later in the disease course). Therefore, the prevention and/or treatment of these CM comorbidities also warrant attention in MS rehabilitation. In most studies PwMS and HC were matched on age, sex, height and weight. Importantly, differences in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) were never taken into account, while this might be a relevant matching risk factor between groups. Moreover, Ranadive et al. found a significant worse vascular function in PwMS compared to HC, but differences were accounted for by low PA in PwMS. This might mean that PwMS can completely attenuate their increased CM risk by increasing their PA. However, this conclusion was only based on a statistical correction, there was a large difference in PA between groups and other confounding factors (such as PA intensity, smoking and nutrition intake) were not taken into account. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the relation between CM health and different intensities of PA and SB in PA-matched PwMS and HC. When CM health is comparable between PwMS and HC with similar PA levels, this shows the importance of including PA and SB measures and interventions as early as possible in MS treatment before automatically starting CM medication because PwMS are known to have multiple risk factors.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
50
Hasselt University
Diepenbeek, Limburg, Belgium
RECRUITINGBody weight
Body weight (in underwear) is determined using a digital-balanced weighting scale to the nearest 0.1 kg
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Height
Body height is measured to the nearest 0.1cm using a wall-mounted Harpenden stadiometer, with participants barefoot
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray)
body fat mass and lean tissue mass using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Waist circumference
Waist circumference will be measured to the nearest 0.1cm using a flexible metric measuring tape with participants barefoot (in underwear) in standing position. Waist circumference is measured at the midpoint between the lower rib margin and the top of the iliac crest.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Hip circumference
Hip circumference will be measured to the nearest 0.1cm using a flexible metric measuring tape with participants barefoot (in underwear) in standing position. Hip circumference is measured at the widest circumference of the hip at the level of the greater trochanter.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Concentration of glucose
Concentration of glucose measured in blood analysis during OGTT
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Concentration of Insulin
Blood analysis of insulin during OGTT
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
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Concentration of total cholesterol
Blood analysis
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Concentration of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol
Blood analysis
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Concentration of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol)
Blood analysis
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Concentration of triglyceride
Blood analysis
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Concentration of inflammatory markers
blood analysis of IL-6, TNF-α and C-reactive protein
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Reactive hyperaemia index (RHI)
Vascular endothelial function will be assessed by non-invasive peripheral arterial tonometry using the EndoPAT™ 2000 device. The reactive hyperaemia index reflects the reactive hyperaemia response, and is calculated as the ratio of the average peripheral arterial tone (PAT) signal in the posthyperemic phase to the baseline PAT signal in the occluded arm, with normalization to the ratio of the PAT signal in the control arm to account for any systemic hemodynamic changes.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)
An oral glucose tolerance test will be performed for assessment of whole body insulin sensitivity using the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The HOMA-IR is calculated from the fasting insulin and glucose concentration.sensitivity and beta cell function. The following parameters are calculated: homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, whole-body insulin sensitivity index, insulinogenic index and the area under the curve for glucose and insulin.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Insulinogenic index
An oral glucose tolerance test will be performed for assessment of beta cell function by calculation of the insulinogenic index. The insulinogenic index is calculated from both insulin and glucose concentrations.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Area under the curve of glucose and insulin concentrations
An oral glucose tolerance test will be performed for assessment of whole body insulin sensitivity by calculation of the area under the curve of glucose and insulin concentrations
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Cardiac autonomic function
Cardiac autonomic function will be operationalized as heart rate variability by means of continuous beat-to-beat heart rate signal measurements. time domain and frequency domain analysis of the R-R intervals will be performed
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Systolic and Diastolic blood pressure
Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure will be measured 3 times at 5-min intervals using an electronic sphygmomanometer
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk score
A continuous metabolic syndrome risk score will be calculated using the waist circumference, HDL concentration, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides and fasting glucose levels, as described by Gurka et al. (2014). A higher score indicates worse health. Because this is a continuous scale, there is no minimum and maximum value.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Oxygen uptake (VO2)
Cardiopulmonary exercise test on an electronically braked cycle ergometer is performed. With the aid of continuous pulmonary gas exchange analysis VO2 is collected breath-by-breath and averaged every ten seconds.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Respiratory gas exchange ratio (RER)
Cardiopulmonary exercise test on an electronically braked cycle ergometer is performed. With the aid of continuous pulmonary gas exchange analysis RER is collected breath-by-breath and averaged every ten seconds.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Heart rate (HR)
Cardiopulmonary exercise test on an electronically braked cycle ergometer is performed. With the aid of a heart rate monitor the HR is measured and averaged every ten seconds.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Arterial stiffness
Arterial stiffness will be determined by pulse wave analysis (PWA) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) using SphygmoCor (v9; Atcor Medical).
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Whole-body insulin sensitivity (WBISI)
(fasting) glucose and (fasting) insulin levels measured during blood analysis from OGTT are used to calculate whole body-insulin sensitivity.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Steps per day
Physical activity will be measured with the ActivPAL3TM activity monitor (PAL Technologies Ltd, Glasgow, UK).
Time frame: 7 days
Sitting time
Sedentary behaviour will be measured with the ActivPAL3TM activity monitor (PAL Technologies Ltd, Glasgow, UK).
Time frame: 7 days
Standing time
Physical activity will be measured with the ActivPAL3TM activity monitor (PAL Technologies Ltd, Glasgow, UK).
Time frame: 7 days
Walking time
Physical activity will be measured with the ActivPAL3TM activity monitor (PAL Technologies Ltd, Glasgow, UK).
Time frame: 7 days
Sleeping time
Participants will have to keep track of their sleeping time by means of a sleep diary
Time frame: 7 days
Exercise information
Participants will have to keep track of their exercise information by means of a diary
Time frame: 7 days
Total calorie intake
Participants will record all food and beverages consumed over seven consecutive days and from this the total calorie intake is calculated.
Time frame: 7 days
Macronutrient content
Participants will record all food and beverages consumed over seven consecutive days and from this the macronutrient content is calculated.
Time frame: 7 days
12-Item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale (MSWS-12) questionnaire
The MSWS-12 is a 12-item patient-rated measure of the impact of MS on walking over the past 2 weeks. The items are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Extremely).
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
RAND-36 Item Health Survey (RAND-36) questionnaire
The RAND-36 (RAND refers to the American research organisation that developed the questionnaire; Research And Development') is a generic health profile that consists of two summary scales: a physical component summary (PCS) and a mental component summary (MCS). The total score is transformed to a hundred point scale. A higher score indicates a better health condition
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Modified fatigue impact scale (MFIS) questionnaire
The perceived impact of fatigue on physical, cognitive and psychosocial functioning of the past 4 weeks is assessed in the MFIS. A higher score indicates higher fatigue. The minimum and maximum value for the physical subscale is 0-36, for the cognitive subscale 0-40 and for the psychosocial subscale 0-8, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 84.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring
Perceived stress scale (PSS) questionnaire
The PSS measures the level to which a respondent considers his or her life stressful and was designed to assess how unpredictable and controllable a person appraises his or her life. The PSS consists of 14 items ranging from 0 to 4. The total score is summed, a higher score indicates more stress.
Time frame: After 7 days of physical activity monitoring