Centre for Sport and Exercise Science.
Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, U.K.
Br J Dermatol. 2018 May;178(5):1072-1082. doi: 10.1111/bjd.16089. Epub 2018 Mar 6.
Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are typically painful and heal slowly. Compression therapy offers high healing rates; however, improvements are not usually sustained. Exercise is a low-cost, low-risk and effective strategy for improving physical and mental health. Little is known about the feasibility and efficacy of supervised exercise training used in combination with compression therapy patients with VLUs.
To assess the feasibility of a 12-week supervised exercise programme as an adjunct therapy to compression in patients with VLUs.
This was a two-centre, two-arm, parallel-group, randomized feasibility trial. Thirty-nine patients with venous ulcers were recruited and randomized 1 : 1 either to exercise (three sessions weekly) plus compression therapy or compression only. Progress/success criteria included exercise attendance rate, loss to follow-up and patient preference. Baseline assessments were repeated at 12 weeks, 6 months and 1 year, with healing rate and time, ulcer recurrence and infection incidents documented. Intervention and healthcare utilization costs were calculated. Qualitative data were collected to assess participants' experiences.
Seventy-two per cent of the exercise group participants attended all scheduled exercise sessions. No serious adverse events and only two exercise-related adverse events (both increased ulcer discharge) were reported. Loss to follow-up was 5%. At 12 months, median ulcer healing time was lower in the exercise group (13 vs. 34·7 weeks). Mean National Health Service costs were £813·27 for the exercise and £2298·57 for the control group.
The feasibility and acceptability of both the supervised exercise programme in conjunction with compression therapy and the study procedures is supported.
静脉性腿部溃疡（venous leg ulcers，VLUs）通常疼痛且愈合缓慢。压迫疗法可提供较高的愈合率；然而，改善通常无法持续。运动是一种改善身心健康的低成本、低风险且有效的策略。对于联合压迫疗法使用监督下的运动训练治疗静脉性腿部溃疡患者的可行性和疗效知之甚少。
评估作为 VLUs 患者压迫治疗辅助疗法的 12 周监督运动方案的可行性。
这是一项两中心、两臂、平行组、随机可行性试验。招募了 39 名静脉性溃疡患者，并按 1:1 随机分为运动（每周 3 次）加压迫治疗组或仅压迫治疗组。进展/成功标准包括运动出勤率、失访率和患者偏好。在 12 周、6 个月和 1 年时重复基线评估，记录愈合率和时间、溃疡复发和感染事件。计算了干预和医疗保健利用成本。收集定性数据以评估参与者的体验。
运动组 72%的参与者参加了所有计划的运动课程。无严重不良事件，仅报告了 2 例与运动相关的不良事件（均为溃疡排出物增加）。失访率为 5%。在 12 个月时，运动组的中位溃疡愈合时间更短（13 周 vs. 34.7 周）。运动组的平均国民保健服务（National Health Service，NHS）成本为 813.27 英镑，对照组为 2298.57 英镑。
支持联合压迫疗法进行监督运动方案的可行性和可接受性，以及研究程序。
