title: PoleStriding exercise and vitamin E for management of peripheral vascular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the efficacy of PoleStriding exercise (a form of walking that uses muscles of the upper and lower body in a continuous movement similar to cross-country skiing) and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) to improve walking ability and perceived quality of life (QOL) of patients with claudication pain secondary to peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two subjects were randomized into four groups: PoleStriding with vitamin E (N = 13), PoleStriding with placebo (N= 14), vitamin E without exercise (N= 13), and placebo without exercise (N = 12). The dose of vitamin E was 400 IU daily. Only the PoleStriding with vitamin E and PoleStriding with placebo groups received PoleStriding instruction and training. Assignment to vitamin E or placebo was double blind. Subjects trained three times weekly for 30-45 min (rest time excluded). Individuals in vitamin E and placebo groups came to the laboratory biweekly for ankle blood-pressure measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of this randomized clinical trial provide strong evidence that PoleStriding significantly (P< 0.001) improved exercise tolerance on the constant work-rate and incremental treadmill tests. Ratings of perceived claudication pain were significantly less after the PoleStriding training program (P= 0.02). In contrast, vitamin E did not have a statistically significant effect on the subjects' ratings of perceived leg pain (P= 0.35) or treadmill walking duration ( P= 0.36). Perceived distance and walking speed (Walking Impairment Questionnaire) and perceived physical function (Rand Short Form-36) improved in the PoleStriding trained group only (P< 0.001, 0.022 and 0.003, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PoleStriding effectively improved the exercise tolerance and perceived QOL of patients with PAD. Little additional benefit to exercise capacity was realized from vitamin E supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Service, College of Nursing at University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60141, USA. eileen.collins@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Eileen G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Edwin Langbein
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Orebaugh
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bammert
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Domenic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reda
authors.forename: Lonnie C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Fred N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Littooy
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D019468:Disease Management; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E