School of Nursing Brings Expertise on Peripheral Artery Disease to Patients in Rural Minnesota

Peripheral artery disease is a chronic condition causing blockages in the arteries that feed the legs, depriving leg muscles of oxygen and often causing debilitating pain. People with the disease are at greater risk of heart attacks, strokes and amputations. The pain sensation gets worse with walking, which then limits patients’ ability and desire to be active. Approximately 20 percent of Americans over 70 have the disease.

“Despite its high prevalence and often severe symptoms, peripheral artery disease is an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition, especially in rural communities,” said Associate Professor Diane Treat-Jacobson, PhD, RN, project director and lead researcher on effective interventions for the disease.

Now, UMN School of Nursing clinicians and researchers who have made groundbreaking discoveries in the diagnosis and treatment of this painful vascular disease will partner with five health centers in greater Minnesota to improve outcomes for patients. A lead partnership with Fergus Falls-based Lake Region Health Care will begin this summer, with four more community sites in other parts of Greater Minnesota to be named by August 1.

Aimed at boosting the health and mobility of older adults in rural Minnesota, this new initiative enables the University to bring targeted support, expertise, education and resources to five communities. The three-year project will build the capacity of health care professionals, including public health staff, to diagnose, manage, educate and treat patients with the condition, as well as educate the public on prevention.

The Healthy Aging and Mobility Initiative is made possible by a grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation.

“This partnership supports meaningful and measurable outcomes that allow older adults to be independent and active much longer, enjoying a higher quality of life,” said Connie White Delaney, Dean of the School of Nursing.

Contact: Barb Schlaefer, School of Nursing, 612-626-9079, barbss@umn.edu