Calf stretching with dietary nitrate for walking problems in peripheral arterial disease
Tests passive calf stretching and dietary nitrate in people with peripheral arterial disease.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
- Where
- La Crosse, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Passive Stretching in Peripheral Arterial Disease Patients
- Status
- Recruiting
- Phase
- Phase 2
- People taking part
- 64 people, planned
- Started
- 20 May 2024
- Expected to end
- 31 Dec 2029
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groups
- Treatments tested
- Calf Plantar flexion
- Dietary nitrate
- Record updated
- 2 April 2025
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with peripheral artery disease (narrowed leg arteries causing leg pain when walking). It tests calf stretching and dietary nitrate.
- Age
- 40 Years to 90 Years
- Sex
- All
- Disease stage
- Peripheral artery disease with an ankle-brachial index of 0.90 or less. Condition stable for at least 3 months.
- Earlier treatment
- No regular exercise or heart rehabilitation program in the past 3 months. No major surgery or leg artery reopening procedure in the last 3 months.
- Biomarker or test result
- Ankle-brachial index (blood pressure ratio between ankle and arm) of 0.90 or less.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Severe loss of blood flow to the leg, amputation, or leg pain at rest
- Heart failure or kidney disease
- Beet allergy
- Crohn's disease
- Current smoker
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 2 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Ankle-brachial index of 0.90 or less Stable condition for at least 3 months
Who cannot take part
- Habitual exercise or cardiovascular rehabilitation program during the past 3 months Critical limb ischemia, amputation, or leg pain at rest Major surgery or lower extremity revascularization in the last 3 months Heart Failure Kidney disease Beet allergy Crohn's Current smoker
Check if you might fit
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 40 and 90 years old?
Where in United States
- University of Wisconsin La CrosseLa Crosse, United StatesContact: Jacob T Caldwell, Ph.D.Taking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) leads to higher mortality rates and strains healthcare systems due to increased costs. It causes leg pain during walking due to reduced blood flow. Nitric oxide (NO) deficiency contributes to vascular issues in PAD, with few effective treatments available. Passive calf muscle stretching boosts NO levels, vascular health, and walking ability in PAD patients. However, the inflammatory processes underlying these improvements are unclear. This study aims to track inflammatory markers and cardiovascular changes during 12 weeks of passive stretching. Additionally, combining stretching with dietary nitrate could further enhance walking capacity by reducing reactive oxygen species. The study will monitor inflammation, vascular function, and oxidative capacity to understand the effects on functional ability in PAD patients. This research is crucial for improving physical function and addressing exercise intolerance in PAD.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Functional Walking capacityTreatment being tested
Passive stretching of the calf muscles 5 days per week for 12-weeks
Treatment: Calf Plantar flexion and Dietary nitrate
- InflammationTreatment being tested
Blood and muscle biopsy samples pre/post passive stretching to assess local and systemic inflammation
Treatment: Calf Plantar flexion and Dietary nitrate
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Passive Stretching and Dietary Nitrate Rescue Functional Capacity in Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Plain-language title
- Calf stretching with dietary nitrate for walking problems in peripheral arterial diseaseGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 14 November 2026.
- Fit questions
- Built from NCT06420752, who can take part
- Record updated
- 2 April 2025