Exercise and nitric oxide in peripheral artery disease
Response to Exercise and Nitric Oxide in PAD: the RESIST PAD Trial
A supervised walking program that increases nitric oxide in the blood to help people with peripheral artery disease walk farther.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11162330 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a randomized trial at Northwestern where about 200 people with PAD are assigned to supervised walking or comparison care. Before and after exercise tests, researchers will take blood samples during a maximal treadmill test to measure change in plasma nitrite and may collect small muscle biopsies to study muscle mitochondria and blood flow. The team will track walking distance and function over about 12 weeks and link those gains to changes in nitric oxide and muscle biology. The study is designed to learn why some people with PAD improve with exercise while others do not.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with lower extremity peripheral artery disease who can walk on a treadmill and attend supervised exercise sessions at the study site are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without PAD or those unable to do supervised exercise or treadmill testing are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help predict who will benefit from exercise and lead to better, more personalized ways to improve walking in PAD.
How similar studies have performed: Small preliminary studies showed that exercise increases plasma nitrite and that larger increases were linked to better walking, but this larger randomized mechanistic trial is a novel test of that idea.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcdermott, Mary Mcgrae — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Mcdermott, Mary Mcgrae
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.