Can a nurse-led intervention program for people with peripheral arterial disease lead to sustained improvement in functional capacity and quality of life?

Abstract

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis which causes significant morbidity and mortality affecting between 14% and 29% of individuals >70 years of age . Multiple studies have demonstrated an improvement in walking distance in people suffering from symptomatic PAD through exercise therapy. While most studies have examined the results of exercise and risk factor modification programs over a short-term this study sought to identify not only whether a nurse-led intervention program can improve functional capacity and quality of life, but if improvements could be sustained over a longer follow-up term. After a mean follow up time of 52 months, the NLIP group had sustained a 14% mortality rate. This is in keeping with the 5-year predicted mortality found amongst PAD sufferers. 3The results from this study suggest that a nurse-led intervention program for people with PAD can have sustained improvement in pain free walking distance and emotional well-being. Further research is required to identify whether earlier intervention may lead to a reduction in mortality rates in PAD population.4