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Department
of Podiatry - Vascular Assessment
Lifestyle
There
are countless papers with evidence to suggest that exercise and diet are
effective non-surgical treatments of most cardiovascular diseases (Sidoti,
1992). Direct effects include strengthening and increased elasticity of
vessels, alter skeletal muscle metabolism, improve blood distribution
to the lower extremities, and increase cardiac output thus lowering blood
pressure. Concurrently, psychosocial benefits are also present such
as reduced stress and increased independence.
In terms of vascular assessment, the podiatrist is more concerned with
how poor the patient’s lifestyle is and what improvements can be
made to enhance the vascular system. So for every physiological improvement
exercise will render, a lack of exercise will predispose the patient to
pathologies in that area. For example, a patient that is relatively immobile
and can’t walk due to osteoarthritis, trauma, or muscle weaknesses
etc., will be more prone to developing intermittent
claudication. Likewise, a recognised treatment for IC is walking (Sidoti,
1992).
Diet is also important in relation to vascular disease, especially having
a diet low in saturated fat and limiting salt intake (Cotran, 1999). If
diet is a major concern or the patient has diabetes,
referral to a dietician is recommended.
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