Eric's thoughts on women, VO2, CCSVI, MS
Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:00 pm
So...Jeff and I are hanging out last night in pre-op with a young nurse, Eric. He starts talking about his research interests in the cardiovascular field, and the differences between men and women, and how women have different responses than men when they do tread mill tests, EKGs etc and that what looks normal for women would look like a heart attack for a man...for the simple fact that WOMEN ARE SMALLER and have lower maximum oxygen uptake- called VO2 levels.
So we're shootin' the breeze while waiting, and I ask Eric, well you understand the CCSVI paradigm, what do you think about the fact the women have MS at much higher rates than men...and without a beat he says- well, their vessels are smaller to begin with, the lumen is smaller, the jaw, and all the room in the neck are all tighter in women, more chance to have stenosis- and if oxygen levels are a complicating issue, women have a lower oxygen uptake levels to begin with, meaning hypoxic injury could happen more quickly in women...pretty interesting, huh?
These are the things that affect VO2/maximum oxygen levels...
• Gender: lower in women
• Age: varies inversely with age (r=.43). The maximal oxygen uptake of a 75 year old man is only about half that of a 17 year old.
• Body Size: varies directly with height, body surface area, and body weight.
• Altitude: is reduced 26% at an altitude of 4000 m.
• Exposure to heat stress up to 90o F
• Pre-testing state (physiological/muscular)
Physiological Limiting Factors
Maximal oxygen uptake can be increased by physical conditioning or decreased by inactivity.
just some random thoughts-
cheer
So we're shootin' the breeze while waiting, and I ask Eric, well you understand the CCSVI paradigm, what do you think about the fact the women have MS at much higher rates than men...and without a beat he says- well, their vessels are smaller to begin with, the lumen is smaller, the jaw, and all the room in the neck are all tighter in women, more chance to have stenosis- and if oxygen levels are a complicating issue, women have a lower oxygen uptake levels to begin with, meaning hypoxic injury could happen more quickly in women...pretty interesting, huh?
These are the things that affect VO2/maximum oxygen levels...
• Gender: lower in women
• Age: varies inversely with age (r=.43). The maximal oxygen uptake of a 75 year old man is only about half that of a 17 year old.
• Body Size: varies directly with height, body surface area, and body weight.
• Altitude: is reduced 26% at an altitude of 4000 m.
• Exposure to heat stress up to 90o F
• Pre-testing state (physiological/muscular)
Physiological Limiting Factors
Maximal oxygen uptake can be increased by physical conditioning or decreased by inactivity.
just some random thoughts-
cheer