Evaluating Two Exercise Training Programs to Reduce Leg Pain in People With Peripheral Arterial Disease (The EXERT Study)

NCT ID: NCT00895635

Last Updated: 2019-11-01

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE3
• Total Enrollment: 104 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2009-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2014-04-30

Brief Summary

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a disorder that affects more than 8 million people in the United States. As a result of decreased blood flow to the legs, people with PAD may experience leg pain and difficulty with walking. This study will examine the effectiveness of two exercise programs-a treadmill walking program and an aerobic arm exercise program-at increasing walking distance and decreasing leg pain in people with PAD.

Detailed Description

PAD is a condition that occurs when atherosclerotic plaque builds up in the peripheral arteries and restricts blood flow. People with PAD often experience reduced blood flow to the legs, which may cause painful leg cramping while walking, known as intermittent claudication. Claudication affects over 4 million people in the United States, and many people with this condition can walk only ½ to 2 blocks before leg pain begins to occur. Regular treadmill walking has been shown to be effective at increasing walking distance and reducing claudication in people with PAD. However, walking on a treadmill may prove difficult for some people with PAD and usually causes increased leg pain, both of which may reduce exercise frequency. Aerobic arm exercises do not cause leg pain and may be an effective way for people with PAD to improve overall cardiovascular fitness and increase the amount of exercise they do. The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of a treadmill exercise program and an aerobic arm exercise program at reducing symptoms of claudication and improving walking ability in people with PAD.

This study will enroll people with PAD and claudication. At a baseline study visit, participants will complete a treadmill walking test; a blood collection; and questionnaires to assess walking status, daily activity levels, quality of life, and mood. One week after the baseline visit, participants will attend a study visit for an assessment of forearm and leg muscle blood flow and a hand-bike test that will measure upper body strength using an arm cycle ergometer. The ergometer is a device with bicycle pedals that people move using their arms. Participants will then be randomly assigned to either a treadmill exercise training program, an arm ergometry exercise program, or a control group.

Participants in the treadmill exercise training program will attend a supervised program at one of four study sites and exercise on a treadmill for 1 hour three times a week for 12 weeks. Participants in the arm ergometry exercise program will attend a supervised program at one of four study sites and exercise using an arm cycle ergometer (hand-bike) for 1 hour three times a week for 12 weeks. Participants in both groups will also receive written instructions about exercising on their own. Participants in the control group will continue to receive usual care from their regular doctor for the treatment of PAD and will be provided with written exercise instructions. Once a week for 12 weeks, participants in the control group will attend study visits to discuss any health problems.

All participants will be asked to monitor their daily exercise for 3 separate weeks during the 12-week period by wearing an accelerometer, which will measure and record physical activity. They will also record their exercise habits in a written diary. All participants will attend study visits on 2 separate days at Weeks 6 and 12 for repeat baseline testing.

From Weeks 12 to 24, all participants will be encouraged to continue to exercise on their own at least three times a week for 30 minutes. Every 4 weeks, study researchers will call participants to offer encouragement and answer questions. At Week 23, participants will again wear an accelerometer and keep an exercise diary for 1 week. All participants will attend a final study visit at Week 24 for repeat baseline testing.

Conditions

Intermittent Claudication; Peripheral Vascular Diseases

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Treadmill Exercise Training

Participants will take part in a 12-week supervised treadmill exercise training program.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Treadmill Exercise Training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

60-minute sessions of supervised treadmill exercise training three times a week for 12 weeks

Arm Ergometry Exercise Training

Participants will take part in a 12-week supervised aerobic arm ergometry exercise training program.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Arm Ergometry Exercise Training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

60-minute sessions of supervised aerobic arm exercise training using an arm ergometer three times a week for 12 weeks

Usual Care Control Group

Participants will receive usual care for PAD from their doctor.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Usual Care

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Usual care for PAD

Interventions

Treadmill Exercise Training

60-minute sessions of supervised treadmill exercise training three times a week for 12 weeks

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Arm Ergometry Exercise Training

60-minute sessions of supervised aerobic arm exercise training using an arm ergometer three times a week for 12 weeks

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Usual Care

Usual care for PAD

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Has lifestyle-limiting claudication
• Able to walk on a treadmill at 2 mph
• Able to perform arm ergometry exercise
• Able to complete a 12-week exercise program

Exclusion Criteria

• Physical activities are limited for reasons other than claudication
• Uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Unstable coronary heart disease
• Ischemic rest pain or tissue loss
• Recent (in the 3 months before study entry) coronary or peripheral revascularization

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 90 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Minnesota

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Diane J. Treat-Jacobson, PhD, RN

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Minnesota

Locations

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

R01HL090854-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

0803M28683

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id