Auburn Research Day 2021

Zachary Holley, OMS-III; Ahmad Abukhader, OMS-III; Bari Elfenbein, OMS-III; Nikki Lauderback, OMS-II; Kaelin Young, PhD; Siraj Abdullah, DO; Danielle Wadsworth, PhD; Joshua Hollingsworth, PharmD, PhD Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn, AL; Auburn University School of Kinesiology - Auburn, AL Cl i n i ca l Resea rch | Med i ca l St udent Minute Calisthenics: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Daily, Habit- Based, Bodyweight Resistance Training Program 018

Background: Resistance-training (RT) provides significant health benefits. However, roughly 3/4 of US adults do not meet current RT guideline recommendations. Studies are needed that assess the effectiveness of RT programs that are time-efficient and simple to perform. Methods: Untrained osteopathic medical students and college/ university “office workers” were recruited and randomized (1:1) to a control group or an intervention group. The control group was instructed to refrain from any RT, while the intervention group was instructed to perform push-ups, angled-rows, and air squats every weekday during the intervention. The intervention group received equipment and training needed to safely perform the exercises. They were also taught the Tiny Habits ® Method (THM) and received digital coaching via email to promote consistency and habit formation regarding the exercises. The primary outcome of interest was the change in composite repetitions (push-ups + angled-rows + squats) under a standardized protocol (i.e., the strength assessment), from baseline to follow-up in the intervention group as compared to the control group. The intervention period was set at 12 weeks (84 days) and other in-person measures (blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, blood lipids, body composition, muscle thickness) were included, under the original protocol.

Results: A total of 47 participants were recruited. Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between the control group (n=22; 14 females; 29.5±9.8 years of age) and intervention group (n=25; 17 females; 34.8±12.4 years of age). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person follow-up could not be completed as planned. In order to collect primary outcome data from as many participants as possible, the decision was made to forgo all in-person measures and to conduct the follow-up strength assessment remotely via Zoom. Strength assessment data were collected 243±4.9 days (~35 weeks) from baseline for 39/47 (83%) participants. A 2x2 (group x time) repeated measures ANOVA was run to determine if there were differences between groups over time in composite repetitions. A significant group x time interaction was detected (p=0.004). After decomposing the model, the intervention group significantly increased composite repetitions (52±23 vs. 63±23 repetitions, p=0.006) over time, whereas the control group experienced no significant change (58±27 vs. 56±27, p=0.265). Discussion: This study indicates that a simple, habit-based RT intervention consisting of brief but daily bodyweight exercises can significantly increase physical strength in untrained individuals. Future studies should assess the impact of such an RT program on other clinical health markers (e.g., hemoglobin A1c, blood lipids, blood pressure, body composition, muscle thickness) as was originally planned in this study.

Cl i n i ca l Case Repor t | Med i ca l St udent Early Screening, Differentiation and Diagnosis of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma to Prevent Metastasis and Improve Prognosis: A Case report

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Kashan Mahmood, MA, OMSII 1 , Neil Schaffner, MD 1,2 1. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Auburn 2. East Alabama Medical Center

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a malignant neuroendocrine tumor that arises from the parafollicular cells of the thyroid. MTC can have variability in terms of cytologic appearance and therefore can be misdiagnosed as other cancers. Persistently elevated levels of calcitonin can indicate MTC. Furthermore, there is a strong association with MTC and patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) syndrome, particularly the 2A and 2B variants. Mutations in the rearranged during transfection (RET) proto- oncogene plays a role in the development of MTC. In this case, we report a 63-year-old female with a RET proto-oncogene mutation that presents with persistently elevated levels of calcitonin, despite undergoing thyroidectomy three years prior. The average age of

diagnosis and normal levels of preoperative calcitonin is 34. Since calcitonin levels remained elevated post-thyroidectomy, additional testing was needed. Computerized tomography (CT) confirmed MTC metastasis to the liver. The patient was started on a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and is currently under close surveillance while being treated symptomatically. This case serves as an example for early screening, differentiation and diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma to prevent metastasis and improve patient prognosis.

17 2021 Via Research Recognit ion Day