OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. - Pain-free movement is something that many of us take for granted. But for patients with peripheral artery disease, or PAD, merely walking a block or two can mean disabling leg pain - pain that often causes these patients to reduce their overall level of activity well below recommended amounts for a healthy lifestyle.
A researcher with the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine recently received funding from the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Aging - more than $2.4 million over five years - to study the efficacy of a new painless exercise protocol to treat the symptoms of PAD and ultimately increase patients overall physical activity. The research effort is led by Andrew Gardner, Ph.D., a professor in the cardiovascular section of the OU College of Medicine.
"Having PAD doesn't necessarily mean that patients are going to have a heart attack or stroke, but they are at higher risk," Gardner said. "It's disabling. So, guess what? They do less walking because it hurts. And so, because they walk less, now they're totally inactive and that's a high-risk factor for cardiovascular disease to develop even further."
