Work

Effect of a home-based calf neuromuscular electrical stimulation programme on walking capacity in adults with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease: the ELECTRO-PAD RCT

Year: 2026

Type: article

Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial

Abstract: Aims This study aims to evaluate whether a 3-month home-based neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) programme improved maximal walking distance (MWD) in patients with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared with usual care. Methods and results This multicentre randomized clinical trial included 73 adults with PAD and walking impairment from five French university hospitals between September 2019 and July 2022, with final follow-up in November 2022. Participants were randomized to a NMES group (n = 34) or a usual care group (n = 39) for 3 months. Both groups received standard medical management and lifestyle advice; the NMES group performed calf NMES sessions at home for 2–3 h/day, 5 days/week. The primary outcome was the 3-month change in treadmill MWD. Secondary outcomes included change in 6-min total walking distance. Of the 73 randomized participants [mean (SD) age, 62.8 (9.2) years; 14 (19.2%) women], 64 (88%) completed the 3-month follow-up. Mean treadmill MWD increased from 148.5 m at baseline to 254.1 m at 3 months in the NMES group and from 142.5 to 175.8 m in the usual care group [between-group difference, 69.9 m (95% CI, 10.8–129.0 m); P = 0.02]. The 6-min total walking distance improved from 371.0 to 405.4 m with NMES and from 342.5 to 348.8 m with usual care [between-group difference, 29.6 m (95% CI, 5.1–54.1 m); P = 0.02]. Conclusion In patients with PAD and walking impairment, a 3-month home-based calf NMES programme significantly improved walking capacity. Further studies are needed to assess long-term effects. Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03795103 Lay summary This study found that using a small electrical stimulation device at home for 3 months (2–3 h/day, 5 days/week) helped people with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease walk farther than those receiving only usual care including usual medical treatment and a brochure with general advice for an active lifestyle.Participants who used the device walked about 70 m farther on a treadmill than those who did not.They also improved their 6-min walking distance by about 30 m and tended to increase their daily physical activity level.

Source: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology

DOI: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwag080