Structured Home-Based Exercise and Education for Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Structured Home-Based Exercise and Education Program: The intervention will be provided in addition to standard medical care. Participants will attend a 30- to 45-minute face-to-face group education and practical training session led by a physiotherapist. Education will cover chronic venous insufficiency, leg elevation, physical activity, weight management, lifestyle recommendations, and compression stocking use when prescribed. Participants will receive practical training in ankle pumping, plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, heel raises, calf muscle activation, walking, and light stretching. Correct exercise performance will be checked individually. Participants will perform the program at home for 20 to 30 minutes per day, at least 5 days per week, for 8 weeks. Adherence and potential adverse symptoms will be monitored weekly by telephone call or text message.

Standard Care (in control arm): Standard care consists of physician-prescribed medical treatment and routine lifestyle recommendations for chronic venous insufficiency. Participants in the experimental arm will receive the structured home-based exercise and education program in addition to standard care.

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a structured home-based exercise and education program can improve quality of life and leg symptoms in adults with chronic venous insufficiency. Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when the veins in the legs do not return blood effectively toward the heart. The main questions the study aims to answer are: Does the exercise and education program improve quality of life related to chronic venous insufficiency after 8 weeks, and is any improvement maintained at Week 12? Does the program reduce leg symptoms after 8 weeks, and is any improvement maintained at Week 12? Researchers will compare participants who receive the structured exercise and education program in addition to standard medical care with participants who receive standard medical care and routine lifestyle advice without structured exercise training. A total of 120 participants will be assigned by chance to one of the two groups. Participants will: Continue the standard medical care recommended by their physicians. Attend assessments at the beginning of the study, at Week 8, and at Week 12. Complete questionnaires and tests assessing quality of life, leg symptoms, walking capacity, calf muscle endurance, physical activity, pain, heaviness, and lower-limb swelling. Participants assigned to the intervention group will also attend a 30- to 45-minute group education session, perform home-based exercises for 20 to 30 minutes per day on at least 5 days per week for 8 weeks, record their exercise sessions, and receive weekly follow-up by telephone or message.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in VEINES-QOL Score — Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12
  VEINES-QOL is the 25-item quality-of-life summary score derived from the 26-item VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire. It assesses the impact of chronic venous disease on symptoms, daily activities, and psychological well-being during the previous 4 weeks. Scores will be transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating better disease-specific quality of life. Change from baseline will be calculated at Weeks 8 and 12; positive change values indicate improvement.
• Change in VEINES-Sym Score — Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12
  VEINES-Sym is the 10-item symptom summary score derived from the 26-item VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire. It assesses the frequency and severity of venous disease-related symptoms during the previous 4 weeks. Scores will be transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating fewer or less severe symptoms. Change from baseline will be calculated at Weeks 8 and 12; positive change values indicate symptom improvement.

Trial sites (1)

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