Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are the prevalent diseases in the world. Researchers pay much attention to studying the numerous therapies and techniques which can lead to reducing the risks of developing these diseases. Physical activity is among the actively discussed factors to influence the development of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Yates and the group of researchers published the article “Association between Change in Daily Ambulatory Activity and Cardiovascular Events in People with Impaired Glucose Tolerance (NAVIGATOR Trial): A Cohort Analysis” in 2014 in order to focus on the problem in detail.
The article presents the results of the cohort study involving participants from different world countries. In their research, Yates and the group of investigators focus on studying the role of the ambulatory physical activity in relation to the patients with cardiovascular diseases and impaired glucose tolerance (Yates, Haffner, Schulte, Thomas, & Huffman, 2014, p. 1059). The researchers aim to answer the question about the connection between changes in the ambulatory physical activity and individuals’ cardiovascular events and risks.
The proposed hypothesis states that the observable positive changes in physical activity leads to lowering the risk of cardiovascular events without dependence on the other factors such as weight and diet. Having analyzed the results of the cohort study, the researchers conclude that the change in the ambulatory activity leads to decreasing the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with impaired glucose tolerance.
Yates and the group of researchers do not include the literature review in their research article. The theoretical background related to the discussed issue is presented in the article’s introduction. The authors discuss the achievements of the other researchers in the sphere while referring to the investigations on the role of the physical activity in preventing cardiovascular diseases (Li & Siegrist, 2012, p. 391).
Much attention is paid to analyzing the factors associated with the prevention and treatment of type II diabetes (Ali, Echouff, & Williamson, 2012, p. 67; Schwarz, Greaves, Lindstr, Yates, & Davies, 2012, p. 363). The references to the other researchers’ articles serve as the context for the authors’ hypothesis related to the connection between the ambulatory physical activity and reduction of the cardiovascular events such as heart stroke and death.
The analyzed research should be discussed as rather current and relevant to the situation in the modern society because the article announcing the significant research results is published in 2014. The authors’ article depends on the cohort study starting in 2002. In spite of the large gap between 2002 and 2014, the study represents the detailed description of the situation in the area of cardiovascular diseases related to the role of the physical activity in preventing or treating these types of diseases (Yates et al., 2014, p. 1060). Cardiovascular diseases remain to be one of the main causes of the people’s deaths in the world. That is why, the authors’ research is current and related to the modern health issues.
Yates and the group of researchers use the non-experimental or observational cohort study in order to state the connection between physical activity and cardiovascular events. In order to focus on the patients impaired glucose tolerance, the researchers chose to retrieve the information from the NAVIGATOR (Nateglinide and Valsartan in Impaired Glucose Tolerance Outcomes Research) trial (Yates et al., 2014, p. 1060).
The data received with the help of the NAVIGATOR trial is important to decide about the stated hypothesis. The individual information is analyzed with the help of the statistical tests in order to focus on the correlation between the participants’ walking and other ambulatory physical activity and risks of cardiovascular diseases.
The sample selected to be used in the cohort study can be discussed as rather representative because Yates and the group of researchers chose to use the data on 9306 patients with impaired glucose tolerance. These people were the patients of 806 centers, and the participants are representatives of 40 countries (Yates et al., 2014, p. 1060).
That is why, it is possible to discuss the tendencies in the cardiovascular disease’s prevalence in the world. The main attention was paid to the participants’ age because the patients older than 50 years were studied more carefully in relation to the occurrence of cardiovascular events such as heart stroke or deaths.
The researchers’ article can be discussed as rather practical because it provides the clear evidence to support the fact that walking as the daily ambulatory activity can reduce the risks of cardiovascular events. This study is original, and the new findings can be used in clinics and centers in order to improve the quality of care for patients with diabetes who are at risk of cardiovascular events. It is stated by the researchers that 2000 step per day can contribute to decreasing the risks of cardiovascular events (Yates et al., 2014, p. 1063). These data can be used in health care organizations and by health care providers of different levels in order to change the daily activities of middle aged and elderly patients.
Yates and the group of researchers provide the detailed discussion of the study’s findings while analyzing the article’s strengths and limitations. The main strength of the researchers’ work is in involving a large and representative sample population in the study. Furthermore, the authors state that they are the first researchers who decided to discuss the ambulatory daily activity as influential for reducing the risks of cardiovascular events (Yates et al., 2014, p. 1064).
The limitations identified by the researchers are the focus on the study without using the pedometer data. In spite of the indentified limitations, it is stated that the researchers conducted the additional tests in order to conclude about the significance of the missing data (Yates et al., 2014, p. 1064-1065). It was found that the discussed limitation does not affect the results of the study. From this point, there are not parts in the research which need the additional discussion, revision, or improvement.
The authors’ writing style can be described as rather clear and straightforward. The researchers present the important information in the concise manner in order to draw the readers’ attention to the most significant sections of the article. The used terms, theories, and tools are explained in the body of sections. Such sections as “Methods”, “Results”, and “Discussion” are very detailed because of providing the most concrete information related to the survey. The key information used to conduct the statistical tests is provided in tables summarizing the received results (Yates et al., 2014, p. 1060-1064). The authors pay much attention to explaining the data presented in the tables in order to support the hypothesis.
Yates and the group of researchers conducted the effective study in order to discuss the issue of the cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the idea discussed by the investigators is interesting and practically important. That is why, the additional research in the field can be required in order to study the role of different physical exercises performed in the ambulatory settings (Yates et al., 2014, p. 1064). The changes in the physical activity can be intentional in order to study the changes in the patients’ state. Furthermore, it is also possible to investigate changes in the activities of individuals who are at risk of cardiovascular events, and who can suffer not only from diabetes but also from other types of chronic diseases.
The article “Association between Change in Daily Ambulatory Activity and Cardiovascular Events in People with Impaired Glucose Tolerance (NAVIGATOR Trial): A Cohort Analysis” can be discussed as one more piece of evidence to support the idea that physical activity of different types can lead to reducing health risks and to improving the physical state and measures of the patient. Walking is usually discussed as one of the most effective physical activities used in the cardio therapies to stimulate the patients’ recovery.
The researchers’ article is important to look at the problem in the context of its association with diabetes. Those persons with impaired glucose tolerance are more vulnerable in relation to preventing cardiovascular events such as strokes and mortality. However, the researchers’ findings demonstrate that ambulatory physical activity is also effective in relation to the patients with diabetes. More attention should be paid to the fact that the researchers’ findings are credible because the conclusions are based on the interpretation of the data related to more than ten years of observation.
References
Ali, M., Echouff, J., & Williamson, D. (2012). How effective were lifestyle interventions in real-world settings that were modeled on the Diabetes Prevention Program? Health Affairs: Millwood, 31(1), 67–75.
Li, J., & Siegrist, J. (2012). Physical activity and risk of cardiovascular disease–a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. IJERPH, 9(2), 391–407.
Schwarz, P., Greaves, C., Lindstr, J., Yates, T., & Davies, M. (2012). Nonpharmacological interventions for the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus. NRE, 8(4), 363–373.
Yates, T., Haffner, S., Schulte, P., Thomas, L., & Huffman, K. (2014). Association between change in daily ambulatory activity and cardiovascular events in people with impaired glucose tolerance (NAVIGATOR trial): A cohort analysis. The Lancet, 383(9922), 1059-1066.