TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of exercise intensity on the response to exercise rehabilitation in patients with intermittent claudication
AU - Gardner, Andrew W.
AU - Montgomery, Polly S.
AU - Flinn, William R.
AU - Katzel, Leslie I.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) (R01-AG-16685, K01-00657; A. W. G.), by a Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center grant from NIA (P60-AG12583), by a Geriatric, Research, Education, and Clinical Center grant from the Veterans Affairs Administration, and by a National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resources, General Clinical Research Center grant (M01-RR-14467).
PY - 2005/10
Y1 - 2005/10
N2 - Purpose: The purpose of this randomized trial was to compare the efficacy of a low-intensity exercise rehabilitation program vs a high-intensity program in changing physical function, peripheral circulation, and health-related quality of life in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients limited by intermittent claudication. Methods: Thirty-one patients randomized to low-intensity exercise rehabilitation and 33 patients randomized to high-intensity exercise rehabilitation completed the study. The 6-month exercise rehabilitation programs consisted of intermittent treadmill walking to near maximal claudication pain 3 days per week at either 40% (low-intensity group) or 80% (high-intensity group) of maximal exercise capacity. Total work performed in the two training regimens was similar by having the patients in the low-intensity group exercise for a longer duration than patients in the high-intensity group. Measurements of physical function, peripheral circulation, and health-related quality of life were obtained on each patient before and after the rehabilitation programs. Results: After the exercise rehabilitation programs, patients in the two groups had similar improvements in these measures. Initial claudication distance increased by 109% in the low-intensity group (P < .01) and by 109% in the high-intensity group (P < .01), and absolute claudication distance increased by 61% (P < 0.01) and 63% (P < .01) in the low-intensity and high-intensity groups, respectively. Furthermore, both exercise programs elicited improvements (P < .05) in peak oxygen uptake, ischemic window, and health-related quality of life. Conclusion: The efficacy of low-intensity exercise rehabilitation is similar to high-intensity rehabilitation in improving markers of functional independence in PAD patients limited by intermittent claudication, provided that a few additional minutes of walking is accomplished to elicit a similar volume of exercise.
AB - Purpose: The purpose of this randomized trial was to compare the efficacy of a low-intensity exercise rehabilitation program vs a high-intensity program in changing physical function, peripheral circulation, and health-related quality of life in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients limited by intermittent claudication. Methods: Thirty-one patients randomized to low-intensity exercise rehabilitation and 33 patients randomized to high-intensity exercise rehabilitation completed the study. The 6-month exercise rehabilitation programs consisted of intermittent treadmill walking to near maximal claudication pain 3 days per week at either 40% (low-intensity group) or 80% (high-intensity group) of maximal exercise capacity. Total work performed in the two training regimens was similar by having the patients in the low-intensity group exercise for a longer duration than patients in the high-intensity group. Measurements of physical function, peripheral circulation, and health-related quality of life were obtained on each patient before and after the rehabilitation programs. Results: After the exercise rehabilitation programs, patients in the two groups had similar improvements in these measures. Initial claudication distance increased by 109% in the low-intensity group (P < .01) and by 109% in the high-intensity group (P < .01), and absolute claudication distance increased by 61% (P < 0.01) and 63% (P < .01) in the low-intensity and high-intensity groups, respectively. Furthermore, both exercise programs elicited improvements (P < .05) in peak oxygen uptake, ischemic window, and health-related quality of life. Conclusion: The efficacy of low-intensity exercise rehabilitation is similar to high-intensity rehabilitation in improving markers of functional independence in PAD patients limited by intermittent claudication, provided that a few additional minutes of walking is accomplished to elicit a similar volume of exercise.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jvs.2005.05.049
DO - 10.1016/j.jvs.2005.05.049
M3 - Article
C2 - 16242558
AN - SCOPUS:26944481150
SN - 0741-5214
VL - 42
SP - 702
EP - 709
JO - Journal of Vascular Surgery
JF - Journal of Vascular Surgery
IS - 4
ER -