For PAD Pain, Dual Approach Appears Best

By Diane Fennell For people dealing with pain and reduced mobility from peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, an approach that combines a vessel-opening procedure and exercise appears to be better than exercise alone, according to research presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2013. Up to one-third of people with diabetes over the age of 50 have PAD. PAD is a condition in which arteries leading to the legs and feet (or, in some cases, the arms) become clogged with fatty deposits called plaque, reducing blood flow to these areas. Symptoms include cramping, tiredness, pain, slow wound healing, or a feeling of heaviness in the legs and feet. Current treatment recommendations call for exercise first, followed by a vessel-opening procedure if that is not successful. In the Endovascular Revascularization and Supervised Exercise (ERASE) Trial, researchers looked at 212 people in the Netherlands dealing with leg pain caused by PAD. Their average was 66, nearly two-thirds were men, over 90% were smokers, and roughly 60% had diabetes. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to receive supervised exercise, while the other half were assigned to undergo angioplasty or stenting procedures to open blocked blood vessels, followed by a supervised exercise program. All participants were given physical evaluations, including a treadmill test to determine walking duration and associated pain, along with quality-of-life assessments at the beginning of the stu...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs