Date of Award
8-28-2020
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Medical Science (MMSc)
First Advisor
Catherine Yeckel, PhD
Abstract
Peripheral artery disease impacts greater than 200 million people worldwide and is the third leading cause of atherosclerotic vascular morbidity. The early stages of the disease are ideally treated behaviorally with exercise. However, there is poor exercise adherence due to fear of pain, poor perceived control over the disease, low motivation, and lack of education surrounding the diagnosis. Imaging has been used to change exercise behaviors among patients with other diseases, such as coronary artery disease. This study will test whether allowing participants to see ultrasound images of their vasculature in response to exercise-associated claudication pain will increase adherence to 12 weeks of at-home exercise. We hypothesize that using imaging to create a personalized pain-function scale during the clinical workup will improve patient exercise adherence and thus increase claudication onset time during exercise. If effective, this approach may prove to be instrumental to slowing the progression of peripheral artery disease.
Recommended Citation
Fittro, Sarah, "Using Color Doppler Ultrasound to Promote Exercise in Adults With Peripheral Artery Disease" (2020). Yale School of Medicine Physician Associate Program Theses. 12.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysmpa_theses/12
This Article is Open Access