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A team of British researchers evaluated the effects of a change in behavior for carrying out walking exercises in patients with arteritis of the legs. It would seem that a better motivation makes it possible to cover a greater distance.
What is lower limb arteritis?
Arteritis is an inflammation of the arteries that can be localized in the lower limbs. Arteritis of the legs is a peripheral arterial disease that does not manifest itself quickly, whereas it can cause serious complications, such as arterial thrombosis. One of the main causes is atherosclerosis. These are plaques of atheroma (lipids) which are deposited on the internal walls of the arteries, then grow until they alter the passage of blood in the vessels. Very often it is caused by the deposition of cholesterol in the vessels, disrupting blood circulation. The muscles are then poorly oxygenated.
Controlling the evolution of arteritis of the legs to improve the quality of life of patients who suffer from this inflammation is essential. It is also necessary to know the risk factors to avoid progression or aggravation of arteritis.
Exercise is recommended despite a lack of evidence for its effectiveness
Among the risk factors on which it is possible to act, let us mention physical activity. Practicing about 30 minutes of suitable physical exercise a day could reduce cardiovascular risk, at least in theory. Indeed, as the authors of the study, published in the JAMA Network“Home-based walking exercise interventions are recommended for people with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), but the evidence for their effectiveness is mixed”.
This is why the team of Professor Lindsay Bearne, from the Kinston Academy in London and physiotherapist, studied the effect of a change in walking physical exercise behavior in patients’ homes.
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Change in exercise behavior improves patients’ walking distance
To assess the consequences, 190 participants with arteritis of the legs were recruited in a randomized clinical trial. Physiotherapists used a motivational approach to provide walking exercises to be performed at home. For this trial, which began in January 2018 and ended in March 2020, 95 people received adjustments from their physiotherapist and 95 received standard care.
The authors noted a statistically significant difference: after 3 months of adapting walking exercises, the distance traveled in 6 minutes increased from 352.9 m to 380.6 m. On the other hand, it went from 369.8 m to 372.1 m in the group of volunteers who performed the usual care.
On average, the adjustments allowed patients in the intervention group to gain a walking distance of 16.7 m over a period of 6 minutes, and this, in just three months.
Specialists now want to carry out additional research, in particular for “determine the sustainability of these results”.