Peripheral Vascular Disease Clinical Trials

The purpose of this study is to test the effects of leg exercise assistive paddling (LEAP) therapy during prolonged sitting (PS) on vascular and functional performance in those with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and age-matched controls. LEAP therapy is a novel application of passive limb movement to enhance blood flow through the legs without muscular contractions. Specifically, LEAP therapy is the rotational passive movement of the lower leg about the knee from 90 to 180 degrees of rotation at a cadence of 1Hz. Previous literature has indicated that this movement pattern can produce robust increases in blood flow in the passively moved limb in healthy individuals, and passive limb movement may protect vascular function during PS. However, the impact of LEAP therapy to improve blood flow in the legs of those with PAD during PS is unknown. To be eligible for this study, those with PAD must be between the ages of 50-85 years, women must be postmenopausal, must have a history of exercise-limiting claudication, have an ankle brachial index (ABI) 0.9. Participants will participate in a randomized cross-over design study with 2 visits (LEAP therapy and no LEAP therapy). For the first visit, participants will be randomly allocated to receive LEAP therapy during 2.5 hours of PS or not. For the second visit, participants will sit for 2.5 hours and will receive the condition that they did not previously receive. Before and after PS, the following measurements will be made: flow-mediated dilation of the popliteal and brachial arteries, arterial stiffness with tonometry techniques, microvascular vasodilatory capacity and skeletal muscle metabolic rate with near-infrared spectroscopy, autonomic nervous system function, and there will be blood drawn from the antecubital vein. After PS, participants will participate in a graded exercise test to assess functional walking capacity. Finally, during PS, near-infrared spectroscopy on the calf muscles and electrocardiogram will be collected continuously to monitor muscle oxygen availability and autonomic activity, respectively. There will be no follow-up. Read Less

The ENLIGHTEN PAD Trial will collect preliminary data to test whether daily 660 nm light treatment of the lower extremities immediately before home-based walking exercise sessions improves six-minute walk distance at 4-month follow-up, compared to sham light, in people with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). Read Less

Evaluate the feasibility of an autologous cell preparation composed of a mixture of cells enriched for endothelial progenitor cells (EnEPCs) and multipotent adult hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) (BGC101), in the treatment of patients suffering from peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with critical limb ischemia (CLI) who have not responded to optimal pharmacological treatment or control of risk factors and/or had a revascularization failure, and do not have the option of further revascularization treatment. Read Less

The LIGHT PAD Trial is a Phase II multi-centered randomized clinical trial to collect preliminary data to test whether daily far red light treatment of the lower extremities in people with PAD improves six-minute walk distance, lower extremity perfusion, and ischemia-related damage in gastrocnemius muscle at four-month follow-up, compared to a sham control. Participants will complete 10 minutes of twice daily home treatment with either far red light or a sham light for four months. Read Less

This is a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the role of screening for and intervening on patients with high on treatment platelet reactivity undergoing lower extremity arterial endovascular interventions. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the effect of elevated plasma ceramides on peripheral vascular function. Subjects will consume a high fat meal consisting of long chain fatty acids (to increase plasma ceramides) or medium chain fatty acids (control). Subjects' vascular function will be assessed with laser Doppler flowmetry to measure their artery function and with the CytoCam device to assess their peripheral microvascular endothelial function. Read Less