title: Vacation at moderate and low altitude improves perceived health in individuals with metabolic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent data suggest that vacation may improve cardiovascular health, an effect possibly moderated by altitude. The aim of the present study was to study the effect of a 3-week vacation at moderate and low altitude on perceived health in individuals with increased cardiovascular risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two overweight males, both occupationally active and retired (mean age=56.6 +/- 7.2 years), with signs of metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned to identical sojourns at either moderate (1,700 m) or low (300 m) altitude and engaged in four 3- to 4-h heart-rate-controlled hiking tours per week. Perceived health was measured 2 weeks before vacation, at the beginning and end of vacation, and 7 weeks after vacation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fitness, recreational ability, positive and negative mood and social activities improved during vacation, independent of altitude and occupational status, although the day-to-day improvement in quality of sleep was delayed at moderate altitude. During the follow-up examinations, improvements in all reported aspects of health except for social activities were maintained. In comparison to retired individuals, active individuals showed a greater long-term improvement in social activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vacation positively affects perceived health independent of altitude or occupational status in generally inactive overweight males.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strauss-Blasche
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Riedmann
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schobersberger
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ekmekcioglu
authors.forename: Gebhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riedmann
authors.forename: Robb
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waanders
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fries
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mittermayr
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Marktl
authors.forename: Egon
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Humpeler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D001317:Austria; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D006304:Health Status; D006693:Holidays; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D014195:Travel