New Exercise Toolkit Provides a Guide for Peripheral Arterial Disease Professionals

The Vascular Disease Foundation (VDF) announced the launch of its new “Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Exercise Training Toolkit: A Guide for Health Care Professionals.” This toolkit was developed jointly by the Vascular Disease Foundation (VDF) and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) and may be accessed online at www.vdf.org/rehab-toolkit/index.php

This valuable new resource is now available to help health professionals develop supervised exercise programs for patients with intermittent claudication (leg discomfort from poor blood supply). Clinical practice guidelines for adults with PAD stress the importance of supervised exercise to improve functional capacity, decrease symptoms and achieve systemic risk-reduction benefits.

According to Dr. Marjorie King, chair of the toolkit writing group, a board member of VDF and a past president of AACVPR, “Most physicians recognize the importance of regular supervised exercise to improve symptoms of lower extremity claudication, but they may not be aware that cardiac rehabilitation, medical fitness, and wellness programs in their community can provide these services. The toolkit was developed so that a physician’s recommendation of “get out and walk” can be accompanied by a referral to a program that follows evidence-based principles and protocols.”

The toolkit includes information for exercise and rehabilitation professionals to implement appropriate and safe supervised exercise programs. It also includes practical tools such as sample brochures plus participant and staff education materials.

While the toolkit is available for free, users are asked to create a user name and password so they may receive updates to guidelines as they become available. The toolkit will also be featured during a workshop, Implementation of the AACVPR/VDF PAD Toolkit: Improving and Expanding Your Patient Services, on October 6, 2010, prior to the AACVPR Annual Meeting in Milwaukee. For more information on this workshop, see www.aacvpr.org\annual meeting.

About AACVPR

Founded in 1985, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the mission of reducing morbidity, mortality and disability from cardiovascular and pulmonary disease through education, prevention, rehabilitation, research and disease management. Central to the core mission is improvement in quality of life for patients and their families.

About VDF

The Vascular Disease Foundation is the only national organization with the sole purpose of educating the public about vascular diseases. It is the most trusted source of credible, scientific and non-biased information on vascular diseases. For more information, call 888.VDF.4INFO (888.833.4463) or visit our Web site, www.vdf.org