Influence of Walking Training in Combination With Blood Flow Restriction Training on Muscle Hypertrophy and Quality of Life in PAOD IIa

In peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD), there is a partial (stenosis) or complete occlusion of peripheral arteries, which leads to reduced arterial blood flow. The cause is atherosclerosis in about 95% of cases and in most cases the lower extremities are affected. The disease is further divided into different stages; stage II is relevant for the present study, specifically IIa. In this case, pain in the legs occurs after a few hundred meters of exertion, e.g. when walking, forcing patients to stop. This condition is also commonly known as intermittent claudication. The therapy of choice is regular gait training, a symptomatic therapy, as the initial cause, atherosclerosis, cannot be treated causally. In the present project, this gait training is supplemented by placing BFR cuffs proximally around the thighs of the patients while walking. The aim is to promote angioneogenesis, which leads to a reduction in symptoms and a corresponding increase in quality of life. A further effect of this can be greater muscle hypertrophy, which also has a positive effect.