Effectiveness of Group Walking Sessions for Increasing Activity in People With Peripheral Arterial Disease (The Group Oriented Arterial Leg Study [GOALS])

Cardiovascular Diseases Clinical Trial

Official title: Increasing Activity in Peripheral Arterial Disease

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a disease in which fatty build-up, or plaque, accumulates in the arteries of the legs. People with lower extremity PAD often experience leg pain while walking, which is caused by reduced blood flow to the legs. Regular walking has significant benefits for people with blood flow problems in their legs, but previous studies have shown that most men and women with PAD do not walk for exercise on a regular basis. A group home-based walking program may help people with PAD to walk more often and improve their lower extremity functioning. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based group mediated cognitive behavioral (GMCB) exercise program in helping people with lower extremity PAD to increase their walking frequency and improve their lower leg functioning.

Clinical Trial Description

Lower extremity PAD affects between 10% and 15% of people over the age of 65. A person's risk for PAD increases with age but can also be raised by smoking or having diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease. PAD symptoms may include leg pain, foot or toe wounds, and a noticeably lower temperature in the lower legs than in the rest of the body. The specific functional impairments caused by PAD symptoms are associated with increased risks of disability, nursing home placement, mobility loss, hospitalization, and mortality. Supervised exercise rehabilitation programs have been shown to improve walking ability in people with PAD. However, few people with PAD have access to supervised exercise rehabilitation programs because of costs and difficulty traveling to the exercise facility. Home-based exercise programs may be more beneficial than supervised programs in improving lower extremity functioning in people with PAD, but more information is needed to support the effectiveness of at-home rehabilitation. This study will compare the effectiveness of a home-based GMCB exercise program versus general health education sessions in helping people with lower extremity PAD to increase their walking frequency and improve their lower leg functioning.

Participation in this study will last 12 months. The primary outcome will be measured at 6 month follow-up. All participants will undergo a baseline 6-minute walk test on a treadmill and an electrocardiogram (ECG). They will also provide information on their physical activity levels. Participants will then be assigned randomly to receive GMCB sessions or health education sessions. Both groups will attend weekly sessions of their assigned treatment for a 6 month period. During the GMCB sessions, participants will be asked to exercise by walking around a track. There will also be a group discussion, led by a facilitator, who will help participants find ways to increase the frequency of their walking exercise at home. Each GMCB session will last approximately 60 to 75 minutes. Health education sessions will last 60 minutes and will cover health-related topics.

After completing approximately 6 months of treatment, participants in both groups will be telephoned regularly by a study coordinator: they will receive telephone calls every other week during Months 6 to 9 of follow-up and monthly during Months 9 to 12 of follow-up. Participants will be asked to return for follow-up testing at Month 6 and Month 12; outcomes measured at Month 6 are highest priority. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cardiovascular Diseases
• Peripheral Arterial Disease
• Peripheral Vascular Diseases
• Vascular Diseases

• NCT number: NCT00693940
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Northwestern University
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: June 2008
• Completion date: May 2013