Could PAD Sufferers Find Relief Through ‘Space Pants?’

(Image of Bruno Roseguini courtesy of Purdue University.)

A scientist at Purdue University is putting his theory that clothing designed for astronauts can provide relief for patients with Peripheral Artery Disease. Health and Kinesiology Assistant Professor Bruno Roseguini is featured this month in the Inside INdiana Business Indiana Life Sciences e-newsletter and he believes swapping the normal cool water that flows through the ventilation garments with warm water could aid blood circulation in the legs of PAD sufferers. Roseguini is working with the Indiana University School of Medicine on a test using the "space pants" for 30 patients with the disease.

He says the technology could have wide uses. "Heat therapy is simple and inexpensive and can be applied in the home setting without supervision as long as you follow the instructions and it’s safe and well-tolerated, so I think it has the potential to overcome the major barriers that come with the other treatment options," Roseguini told Reporter Kylie Veleta.

In the six-week, American Heart Association-funded trail, patients will wear the garments three times a week for 90 minutes. Some 8.5 million Americans have PAD, according to the American Heart Association. Roseguini says "patients have told me, ‘I’m willing to do anything to get rid of this pain.’ Some have difficulty going to the grocery, and in extreme cases, just going to the mailbox. If you don’t do anything about it, the patient will decline functionally a lot faster than a normal elderly person."

You can connect to more about the technology by clicking here.