Thermotherapy reduces blood pressure and circulating endothelin-1 concentration and enhances leg blood flow in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Endothelin-1 in the context of low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the impact of TT application using a water-circulating garment on leg and systemic hemodynamics and on the concentrations of circulating cytokines and vasoactive mediators in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Why It Was Studied

Sixteen patients with PAD and intermittent claudication (age: 63 ± 9 yr) completed three experimental sessions in a randomized order: TT, control intervention, and one exercise testing session.

The garment was perfused with 48°C water for 90 min in the TT session and with 33°C water in the control intervention.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 10 patients taking part.

The age groups tagged for this paper are middle-aged adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the Endothelin-1 group and the comparison group should start out alike.

What Was Measured

Sixteen patients with PAD and intermittent claudication (age: 63 ± 9 yr) completed three experimental sessions in a randomized order: TT, control intervention, and one exercise testing session.

A subset of 10 patients also underwent a protocol for the measurement of blood flow in the popliteal artery during 90 min of TT using phase-contrast MRI.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Blood Flow Velocity, Blood Pressure, Endothelin-1, Hypertension, Hyperthermia, Induced, Inflammation Mediators and Leg.

Author keywords: intermittent claudication and thermotherapy.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of Endothelin-1 in 10 patients in people with low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2016 (American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Endothelin-1 compound page, Low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension research.