Comparative effectiveness study of self-directed walking exercise, lower extremity revascularization, and functional decline in peripheral artery disease

Association of the Prognosis of Ankle-brachial Index Improvement One Year Following Endovascular Therapy in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease: Data from the I-PAD NAGANO Registry

Objective Despite reports on the effects of ankle-brachial index (ABI) improvement following endovascular therapy (EVT) on the limb prognosis, studies evaluating cardiovascular events are limited. We investigated whether or not ABI improvement 1 year following EVT was associated with cardiovascular events. Methods The I-PAD NAGANO registry is an observational multicenter cohort study that enrolled 337 patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) who underwent EVT between August 2015 and July 2016. From this cohort, we identified 232 patients whose ABI data 1 year following EVT were available, after excluding patients with critical limb ischemia. We divided the patients into two groups according to the degree of ABI improvement 1 year following EVT (ΔABI) - the ΔABI <0.15 group and the ΔABI ≥0.15 group - and compared the outcomes. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including all - cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke. The secondary endpoints were major adverse limb events (MALEs), defined as a composite of target lesion revascularization and major amputation, all - cause death, MI, and stroke. The median follow-up period was 3.3 years. Results The incidence of MACEs was significantly higher in the ΔABI <0.15 group than in the ΔABI ≥0.15 group (ΔABI <0.15 vs. ΔABI ≥0.15, 25.8% vs. 11.9%, log-rank p=0.036), as was the incidence of stroke (14.1% vs. 2.2%, log-rank p=0.016). A Cox regression analysis revealed that ΔABI ≥0.15 was significantly associated with fewer MACEs (hazard ratio 0.38, 95% confidence interval 0.17-0.83, p=0.016). Conclusion An increase in ABI ≥0.15 at 1 year following EVT was a predictor of reduced MACEs.

Comparison of efficacy and safety of drug-eluting versus uncoated balloon angioplasty for femoropopliteal arterial occlusive disease: a meta-analysis

Background

This quantitative meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of drug-eluting balloon (DEB) vs. uncoated balloon (UCB) in patients with femoropopliteal arterial occlusive disease.

Methods

Electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared DEB and UCB till November 2018. The random-effects model was used for conducting pooled analyses.

Results

Seventeen RCTs with 2706 patients were included in the final meta-analysis. Patients who received DEB had higher levels of minimal luminal diameter (MLD) at 6 (WMD: 0.77; 95%CI: 0.53 to 1.02; P < 0.001) and 12 months (WMD: 1.33; 95%CI: 0.93 to 1.73; P < 0.001) than those who received UCB. DEB reduced the late lumen loss (LLL) levels after 6 (WMD: -0.57; 95%CI: − 1.07 to − 0.06; P = 0.029) and 12 months (WMD: -0.95; 95%CI: − 1.28 to − 0.62; P < 0.001). DEB was found not superior over UCB on primary patency after 6 months (RR: 1.44; 95%CI: 0.88–2.35; P = 0.149), whereas DEB increased the primary patency after 12 (RR: 1.51; 95%CI: 1.25–1.83; P < 0.001) and 24 months (RR: 1.51; 95%CI: 1.30–1.77; P < 0.001). Patients who received DEB had reduced the risk of restenosis after 6 (RR: 0.47; 95%CI: 0.33–0.67; P < 0.001) and 12 months (RR: 0.55; 95%CI: 0.35–0.85; P = 0.008). DEB reduced the risk of major adverse events after 6 (RR: 0.30; 95%CI: 0.14–0.61; P = 0.001), 12 (RR: 0.49; 95%CI: 0.32–0.76; P = 0.001) and 24 months (RR: 0.62; 95%CI: 0.41–0.92; P = 0.018).

Conclusions

DEB yielded additional benefits on MLD, LLL, primary patency, restenosis, TLR, and major adverse events than UCB in patients with femoropopliteal arterial occlusive disease.

Functional hemodynamics assessment during endovascular Tibio-pedal retrograde intervention of peripheral arterial disease

OBJECTIVE

We sought to use a novel technique to measure the functional hemodynamics of peripheral arterial lesions during endovascular interventions.

BACKGROUND

Functional hemodynamics has not been thoroughly evaluated during endovascular interventions. The aim of our study is to evaluate the feasibility and the potential benefits of pedal pressures measurements from tibio-pedal access.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 100 consecutive patients who underwent endovascular interventions via tibio-pedal artery access between October 3, 2018 and December 15, 2018. Baseline and postintervention pedal pressures from the pedal sheaths were measured. We also evaluated the pedal-brachial index (PBI) which is defined as the pedal sheath pressure divided by the simultaneously brachial cuff pressure. We compared baseline pedal pressures, postintervention pedal pressures, baseline PBI, postintervention PBI, % change of PBI ([postintervention PBI minus baseline PBI]/baseline PBI), and resting ankle-brachial index (ABI) versus baseline PBI in this cohort of patients.

RESULTS

All 100 patients had successful tibio-pedal artery access. Baseline pedal pressure was 70 + 30 mmHg with post intervention pedal pressure of 133 + 27 mmHg (p < .001). Baseline PBI was 0.75 + 0.24 with post intervention PBI of 1.09 + 0.19 (p < .001). The correlation coefficient of resting ABI vs. baseline PBI was 0.55. The % change of PBI was 63.2 + 52.4%. There was significant improvement of postintervention PBI when compared to baseline PBI in the majority of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Obtaining pedal pressures and PBI from tibio-pedal access can be a feasible tool for endovascular interventions. This simple technique can provide us important functional hemodynamics information before and after peripheral revascularization.

Rehabilitative Exercise Reduced the Impact of Peripheral Artery Disease on Vascular Outcomes in Elderly Patients with Claudication: A Three-Year Single Center Retrospective Study

The study retrospectively evaluated the association between rehabilitative outcomes and risk of peripheral revascularizations in elderly peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients with claudication. Eight-hundred thirty-five patients were enrolled. Ankle-brachial index (ABI) and maximal walking speed (S_max) were measured at baseline and at discharge from a structured home-based rehabilitation program. For the analysis, patients were divided according to a baseline ABI value (severe: ≤0.5; moderate: ≥0.5) and according to hemodynamic or functional rehabilitative response (responder: ABI ≥ 0.10 and/or S_max > 0.5 km/h). Three-year outcomes were collected from the regional registry. According to the inclusion criteria (age 60–80, ABI < 0.80; program completion) 457 patients, 146 severe and 311 moderate, were studied. The whole population showed significant functional and hemodynamic improvements at discharge, with 56 revascularizations and 69 deaths at follow-up. Compared to the moderate group, the severe group showed a higher rate of revascularizations (17% vs. 10%, p < 0.001) and deaths (29% and 8%, respectively; p < 0.001). However, patients with severe PAD who were ABI responders after rehabilitation showed less revascularizations than non-responders (13% vs. 21%; hazard ratio (HR): 0.52) and were not different from patients with moderate disease (9%). Superimposable rates were observed for S_max responders (13% vs. 21%; HR: 0.55; moderate 10%). In conclusion, elderly patients with severe PAD empowered by better rehabilitation outcomes showed lower rates of peripheral revascularizations and deaths that were comparable to patients with moderate PAD.

Angiogenesis in peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) refers to narrowing of the peripheral arteries and atherosclerosis is the most important cause. In patients with PAD, revascularization is the preferred therapeutic strategy; nonetheless several patients are not deemed candidates for it due to advanced disease or several comorbidities. The main target of therapeutic angiogenesis is to promote development of new arterial vessels and improve perfusion of ischemic tissue. Angiogenic growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), administered intramuscularly or intra-arterially, have been shown to promote angiogenesis and development of collateral vasculature in preclinical studies. However, clinical studies failed to confirm their efficacy in ulcer healing and prevention of amputation, among patients with claudication or critical limb ischemia (CLI). Autologous progenitor cell therapy with bone marrow or adipose-derived progenitor cells administered intra-arterially or intra-muscularly, was shown to improve claudication symptoms and ankle-brachial index in small studies. However, subsequent randomized controlled studies did not demonstrate any beneficial effects of stem cell therapy on amputation rates and survival. Although, therapeutic angiogenesis remains an area of interest in PAD with several ongoing studies of investigational therapies, so far the use of these strategies in clinical practice has not been successful.

[Efficacy of drug-coated balloon and common balloon for treatment of superficial femoral artery and popliteal artery arteriosclerosis obliterans: prospective randomized controlled triac]

OBJECTIVE

To compared the efficacy of drug-coated balloon and common balloon for treatment of superficial femoral artery and popliteal artery occlusive disease.

METHODS

Forty-six patients were admitted for ipsilateral single or multiple superficial femoral artery and/or popliteal artery lesions (between 3 and 15 cm stenosis or occlusion), Rutherford grades 2 to 5, with or without other accompanying diseases in the Department of Interventional Vascular Therapy of the First Hospital of Nanjing between September, 2015 and December, 2016. The patients were randomly assigned into drug-coated balloon (DCB) group (n=23) and common balloon (CB) group (n=23). None of the patients had stent restenosis, aneurysms, acute thrombosis, pregnancy, life expectancy less than 1 year, or below-the-knee artery occlusion. The late lumen loss (LLL), improvement of the ankle brachial index (ABI), improvement of Rutherford grade, incidence of restenosis, thrombosis rate and amputation rate were compared between the two groups at 6 months after treatment.

RESULTS

The two groups of patients were comparable for general conditions, risk factors, and characteristics of the compromised vessels (P>0.05). Six months after treatment, the patients in DCB group showed significantly smaller LLL, more obvious improvement of the ABI and Rutherford grade, and lower restenosis rate and thrombosis rate than those in CB group (P<0.05). The amputation rates were similar between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

DCB shows obvious advantages over common balloon for treatment of superficial artery and popliteal artery arteriosclerosis obliterans in that it more effectively reduces LLL, restenosis rate and thrombosis rate and improves the ABI and Rutherford grade at 6 months after the treatment.

The values of cardio-ankle vascular and ankle-brachial indices in patients with carbohydrate metabolic disorders: The ESSE-RF study in the Kemerovo Region

Aim. To investigate factors associated with pathological cardio-ankle vascular and ankle-brachial indices (CAVI and ABI) in patients with carbohydrate metabolic disorders (CMD). Subjects and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the framework of the multicenter epidemiological study “Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases and Their Risk Factors in the Russian Federation” (ESSE-RF) in March to October 2013. The standard ESSE-RF protocol was extended by an additional study of peripheral arterial stiffness, by estimating CAVI and ABI automatically. A sample of 1619 people was formed in several stages, in which 311 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and prediabetes were identified and divided into 3 groups: 1) 41 patients with pathological CAVI values (≥9.0); 2) 241 with normal CAVI (

Effects of Buddhist walking meditation on glycemic control and vascular function in patients with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To investigate and compare the effects of Buddhist walking meditation and traditional walking on glycemic control and vascular function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

Twenty three patients with type 2 diabetes (50-75 years) were randomly allocated into traditional walking exercise (WE; n=11) or Buddhism-based walking meditation exercise (WM; n=12). Both groups performed a 12-week exercise program that consisted of walking on the treadmill at exercise intensity of 50-70% maximum heart rate for 30min/session, 3 times/week. In the WM training program, the participants performed walking on the treadmill while concentrated on foot stepping by voiced "Budd" and "Dha" with each foot step that contacted the floor to practice mindfulness while walking.

RESULTS

After 12 weeks, maximal oxygen consumption increased and fasting blood glucose level decreased significantly in both groups (p<0.05). Significant decrease in HbA1c and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed only in the WM group. Flow-mediated dilatation increased significantly (p<0.05) in both exercise groups but arterial stiffness was improved only in the WM group. Blood cortisol level was reduced (p<0.05) only in the WM group.

CONCLUSION

Buddhist walking meditation exercise produced a multitude of favorable effects, often superior to traditional walking program, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Current therapies and investigational drugs for peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality with cardiovascular (CV) disease. The guideline recommends smoking cessation and antiplatelet/antithrombotic drugs for asymptomatic and symptomatic PAD patients. It also recommends that PAD patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) should be considered to receive endovascular and open surgical treatment for limb salvage. Although PAD patients with CLI receive these treatments, they are sometimes unable to deliver sufficient blood flow to eliminate their symptoms. Thus specific strategies are needed to promote enough blood flow. To establish the effective method, many investigations have been performed using cell-based therapy. Endothelial progenitor cells, mononuclear cells and mesenchymal stem cells have been well investigated in clinical settings. To induce angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor, fibroblast growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) have also been transfected in PAD patients. Among them, HGF is the most promising factor because it can induce angiogenesis without the induction of vascular inflammation and increased permeability. In this review article, we summarize current treatments and investigational drugs of PAD.

Correlation between Patient-Reported Symptoms and Ankle-Brachial Index after Revascularization for Peripheral Arterial Disease

Improvement in quality of life (QoL) is a primary treatment goal for patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The current study aimed to quantify improvement in the health status of PAD patients following peripheral revascularization using the peripheral artery questionnaire (PAQ) and ankle-brachial index (ABI), and to evaluate possible correlation between the two methods. The PAQ and ABI were assessed in 149 symptomatic PAD patients before, and three months after peripheral revascularization. Mean PAQ summary scores improved significantly three months after revascularization (+49.3 ± 15 points, p < 0.001). PAQ scores relating to patient symptoms showed the largest improvement following revascularization. The smallest increases were seen in reported treatment satisfaction (all p's < 0.001). As expected the ABI of treated limbs showed significant improvement post-revascularization (p < 0.001). ABI after revascularization correlated with patient-reported changes in the physical function and QoL domains of the PAQ. Twenty-two percent of PAD patients were identified as having a poor response to revascularization (increase in ABI < 0.15). Interestingly, poor responders reported improvement in symptoms on the PAQ, although this was less marked than in patients with an increase in ABI > 0.15 following revascularization. In conclusion, data from the current study suggest a significant correlation between improvement in patient-reported outcomes assessed by PAQ and ABI in symptomatic PAD patients undergoing peripheral revascularization.

Physical Activity and Exercise for Secondary Prevention among Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

Most adults do not achieve the recommended levels of physical activity, including patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Furthermore, healthcare providers often do not understand the benefits of physical activity in CVD patients, rather over emphasizing the potential risks related to activity. Recent studies suggest reductions in cardiovascular events including mortality with concomitant improvements in quality of life for many vascular conditions. However gaps in our current knowledge base remain. Recent research on physical activity including use of novel internet based interventions are developing areas of interest have moved to reduce such knowledge gaps.