Congratulations to our combined team at University of Malta and SALSA for this intriguing publication.
The Effectiveness of Calf Muscle Electrostimulation on Vascular Perfusion and Walking Capacity in Patients Living With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Peripheral Artery Disease
Christian Ellul, MSc, Cynthia Formosa, PhD, Alfred Gatt, PhD, Auon Abbas Hamadani, MD, David G. Armstrong, DPM, MD, PhD
Abstract
The aim of the study was to explore calf muscle electrostimulation on arterial inflow and walking capacity in claudicants with peripheral artery disease and diabetes mellitus. A prospective, 1-group, pretest-posttest study design was used on 40 high-risk participants (n = 40) who exhibited bilateral limb ischemia (ankle brachial pressure index [ABPI] <0.90), diabetes mellitus, and calf muscle claudication. A program of calf muscle electrical stimulation with varying frequency (1-250 Hz) was prescribed for 1 hour per day for 12 weeks. Spectral waveforms analysis, ABPI, absolute claudication distance (ACD), and thermographic temperature patterns across 4 specified regions of interest (hallux, medial forefoot, lateral forefoot, heel) at rest and after exercise, were recorded at baseline and following intervention to evaluate for therapeutic outcomes. A significant improvement in ACD and ABPI was registered following the intervention (P = .000 and P = .001, respectively). Resting foot temperatures increased significantly (P = .000) while the postexercise temperature drops were halved across all regions at follow-up, with hallux (P = .005) and lateral forefoot (P = .038) reaching statistical significance. Spectral Doppler waveforms were comparable (P = .304) between both serial assessments. Electrical stimulation of varying frequency for 1 hour per day for 12 consecutive weeks registered statistically significant improvement in outcome measures that assess arterial inflow and walking capacity in claudicants with diabetes mellitus. These results favor the use of electrostimulation as a therapeutic measure in this high-risk population.
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