Community WALKing and home-baSed circuiT tRaining in peOple liviNG with intermittent claudication (WALK-STRONG): protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial

Abstract

Why we are undertaking the research: Peripheral artery disease is a common problem where the blood vessels in the legs are narrowed by fatty deposits. Supervised exercise programmes are recommended to help treat this condition, as they can reduce leg pain and improve fitness. However, not many people are able to access these programmes typically because of barriers including travel burdens, time constraints or other commitments. As an alternative, researchers are developing home-based programmes which do not require people to travel to centres for their sessions. In the UK and to the author’s knowledge, there are not many well researched home-based programmes available for people living with peripheral artery disease. What we aim to do: We plan to undertake a study to see how feasible our home-based programme is. People with peripheral artery disease will either be asked to continue with their normal routine or will be prescribed an exercise programme, with an activity watch to monitor physical activity. This programme will include increasing the number of steps walked each day, an exercise circuit (twice a week) and a telephone support call with a member of the research team to discuss their progress or lack of progress. Questionnaire responses, blood samples, walking ability, muscle strength and the amount of daily exercise will be compared between the two groups at the start of the 12-week programme, at the end, and 12 weeks after the programme has finished. By doing this study, we will be able to refine our home-based exercise programme so that it can be tested on a larger scale to see if it is a good option for people with peripheral artery disease who may not be able to attend a supervised exercise programme.