A comparison of upper-limb and lower-limb exercise training in patients with intermittent claudication (IC)

Completed

Conditions: Peripheral arterial disease.
Circulatory System
Other peripheral vascular diseases

Registration Number: ISRCTN76180797

Lead Sponsor: Sheffield Hallam University (UK)

Brief Summary: Not available

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 104

Inclusion Criteria

Patients with stable intermittent claudication were recruited from the Sheffield Vascular Institute at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, UK. The clinical diagnosis of PAD was established using the patient?s history and a physical examination, and was confirmed by the Doppler assessment of ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI), a non-invasive reliable measure of lower-extremity hemodynamics, in accordance with current UK medical practice.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients experiencing symptoms of IC for less than 12 months, or reporting a significant change in walking ability within this time period were considered to have unstable disease and were, as a consequence, excluded. Patients were also excluded if they exhibited features of critical ischemia, had undergone a re-vascularization procedure within the previous 12 months, or if initial assessment established that they suffered from severe arthritis (i.e. if they were unable to walk unaided or perform either upper- or lower limb cranking exercise due to joint pain), severe lumbar spine disease or unstable cardiorespiratory conditions (i.e. unstable blood pressure, recent electrocardiographic changes or acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, third-degree heart block, acute congestive heart failure and severe respiratory conditions).

Study & Design

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Walking performance (claudication distance and maximum walking distance).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
1. Upper- and lower-limb aerobic exercise capacity<br>2. Disease-specific and generic quality of life measures<br>3. Blood markers of cardiovascular disease risk