Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the third leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity, following coronary artery disease and stroke. Symptoms of PAD include claudication, decreased exercise capacity, progressive functional impairment, and decreased quality of life. Structured exercise therapy is a cornerstone of treating symptomatic PAD. Guidelines recommend a symptom-based exercise program that uses claudication to moderate walking sessions.~Home exercise programs have demonstrated efficacy in improving walking ability and quality of life for symptomatic PAD patients. In the general population and patients with certain chronic diseases, walking more than 5,000 steps a day has been associated with better health. The efficacy of walking more than 5,000 steps a day has not been well studied in symptomatic PAD patients.~The EASY FIT Trial is a single-center prospective randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of a daily step-based exercise program (walking at least 5,000 steps a day) vs. a guideline-recommended symptom-based exercise program (walking 45 consecutive minutes for 3 to 5 days a week), on improving walking ability and quality of life in patients with symptomatic PAD. The study will enroll and randomize 40 patients with symptomatic PAD (20 to each exercise program).The results of this study have the potential to create an effective, safe, feasible, and sustainable exercise program that can help PAD patients have greater walking ability and better quality of life.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is caused by blockages in the leg arteries. PAD limits patients' walking ability and quality of life. For patients with PAD, home exercise programs can improve walking ability and quality of life. In many patient populations, walking more than 5,000 steps a day is associated with better health. Currently, the benefit of walking more than 5,000 steps a day in patients with PAD has not been well studied.~The purpose of this clinical trial is to compare two different home exercise programs in patients with PAD: walking at least 5,000 steps a day with the help of fitness monitors vs. walking 45 consecutive minutes for 3 to 5 days a week (a common exercise prescription for PAD). This study has the potential to demonstrate that, with the help of fitness monitors, walking at least 5,000 steps a day can improve walking ability and quality of life for patients with PAD.