Qualifications
- BA (York St John University)
- MSc (University of Hull)
- PhD / DPhil
Summary
Sean Pymer is an exercise physiologist at the Hull York Medical School. His background is in clinical exercise physiology having undertaken a PhD at Hull York Medical School and an MSc at the University of Hull. His research interests include exercise interventions in cardiovascular disease and the role of cardiopulmonary exercise testing as a risk stratification and exercise prescription tool.
Sean's MSc research project was entitled 'Does exercise prescription based on estimated heart rate training zones exceed the ventilatory anaerobic threshold in patients with coronary heart disease undergoing usual-care cardiovascular rehabilitation?: A United Kingdom perspective'.
His PhD project considered the role of alternative exercise programmes for the treatment of intermittent claudication - ranging from home-based exercise to high-intensity exercise. The first study considered the evidence for home-based exercise programmes via a systematic review and meta-analysis.
However, the main focus of his thesis was to consider the role of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in patients with intermittent claudication. His systematic review demonstrated that the evidence for HIIT in this patient group was limited. However, it did suggest that low-volume, short-duration HIIT could be beneficial. This lead to two cohort studies considering the feasibility, tolerability, safety and acceptability of HIIT for patients with IC. The results of these studies have been presented at international conferences and were recently published in the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention.
The findings have also allowed for refinement of the HIIT intervention, that is now being considered in an NIHR funded multi-centre proof-of-concept study - which he is leading.
Sean's day to day role involves leading the aforementioned NIHR study, collaborating on other research projects, overseeing an NHS supervised exercise programme for intermittent claudication and performing pre-operative cardiopulmonary exercise testing for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms being considered for repair.
Sean has also published a number of articles from him MSc, PhD and current collaborations.
Journal Article
The association between completion of supervised exercise therapy and long-term outcomes in patients with intermittent claudication, concomitant sarcopenia and cardiometabolic multimorbidity
Ravindhran, B., Igwe, C., Nazir, S., Prosser, J., Harwood, A., Lathan, R., Harwood, A. E., Carradice, D., Smith, G. E., Chetter, I. C., & Pymer, S. (2025). The association between completion of supervised exercise therapy and long-term outcomes in patients with intermittent claudication, concomitant sarcopenia and cardiometabolic multimorbidity. Annals of vascular surgery, 110(B), 216-223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avsg.2024.04.032
The prognostic value of simple frailty and malnutrition screening tools for determining surgical risk in patients with chronic limb threatening ischaemia undergoing major vascular surgery: A retrospective cross-sectional study
Palmer, J., Pymer, S., Smith, G., Ingle, L., Harwood, A., & Chetter, I. (online). The prognostic value of simple frailty and malnutrition screening tools for determining surgical risk in patients with chronic limb threatening ischaemia undergoing major vascular surgery: A retrospective cross-sectional study. Journal of Vascular Societies Great Britain and Ireland, https://doi.org/10.54522/jvsgbi.2024.124
Home-based high intensity interval training in patients with intermittent claudication: a systematic review protocol
Prosser, J., Staniland, T., Harwood, A., Ravindhran, B., McGregor, G., Huang, C., Twiddy, M., Nicholls, A., Ingle, L., Long, J., Chetter, I., & Pymer, S. (2024). Home-based high intensity interval training in patients with intermittent claudication: a systematic review protocol. Journal of Vascular Societies Great Britain and Ireland, 3(3), 155-159. https://doi.org/10.54522/jvsgbi.2024.103
High INtensity Interval Training in pATiEnts with Intermittent Claudication: A Qualitative Acceptability Study
Pymer, S., Harwood, A., Ibeggazene, S., McGregor, G., Huang, C., Nicholls, A., Ingle, L., Long, J., Rooms, M., Chetter, I. C., & Twiddy, M. (2024). High INtensity Interval Training in pATiEnts with Intermittent Claudication: A Qualitative Acceptability Study. Annals of vascular surgery, 102, 17-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avsg.2023.11.043
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Tailored Risk Assessment and Forecasting in Intermittent Claudication: A Proof of Concept Decision Support Tool
Ravindhran, B., Prosser, J., Lim, A., Mishra, B., Lathan, R., Hitchman, L., Smith, G., Carradice, D., Thakker, D., Pymer, S., & Chetter, I. (2024, June). Tailored Risk Assessment and Forecasting in Intermittent Claudication: A Proof of Concept Decision Support Tool. Presented at The European Society for Vascular Surgery Translational Spring Meeting 2024, Stockholm, Sweden
Research interests
Clinical exercise physiology
Exercise for the treatment of chronic diseases
Cardiovascular rehabilitation
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing
Lead investigator
Project
Funder
Grant
Started
Status
Project
An umbrella review of exercise for people with intermittent claudication
Funder
NIHR National Institute for Health Research
Grant
£500.00
Started
1 August 2021
Status
Complete
Co-investigator
Project
Funder
Grant
Started
Status
Project
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy compared to best available treatment for patients with intermittent claudication - NIHR RDS PPI Application
Funder
NIHR National Institute for Health Research
Grant
£500.00
Started
28 November 2021
Status
Complete
Postgraduate supervision
Exercise testing and training for chronic diseases.