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Exercise or hypochlorous acid for venous leg ulcer healing: Factorial4VLU trial

Year:
2019
Duration:
36 months
Approved budget:
$1,402,941.25
Researchers:
Professor Andrew Jull
Host:
The University of Auckland
Health issue:
Cardiovascular/cerebrovascular
Proposal type:
Project
Lay summary
Venous leg ulcers (VLU) are a debilitating condition and the numbers will increase as the population ages and obesity increases. VLU can be painful, limit work, and restrict social activity, leading to feelings of hopelessness; people with VLU have lower health-related quality of life than population norms. There is one main treatment that increases VLU healing (compression therapy - tight bandaging or stockings), but about half the people with a VLU remain unhealed even after 12 weeks of treatment. Research suggests adding either progressive resistance exercises plus walking or dilute hypochlorous acid to compression therapy can speed up healing, but the current evidence is not enough to change clinical practice. We will conduct a special type of randomised controlled trial to investigate two interventions at once to test if either speeds up VLU healing.