Long-term effects of supervised exercise training on walking capacity and quality of life in patients with intermittent claudication.
Supervised exercise training has been shown to improve walking capacity in several studies of patients with intermittent claudication. However, data on long-term outcome are quite limited. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate long-term effects of supervised exercise training on walking capacity and quality of life in patients with intermittent claudication.


METHODS
Sixty-seven consecutive patients with intermittent claudication who completed a supervised 12-week exercise training program were asked for follow up evaluation 39 +/- 20 months after program completion. Pain-free walking distance (PWD) and maximum walking distances (MWD) were assessed by treadmill test and several questionnaires.


RESULTS
Forty (60%) patients agreed to participate, 22 (33%) refused participation, and 5 (7%) died during follow-up. PWD and MWD significantly improved at completion of 12-weeks supervised exercise training as compared to baseline (PWD 114 +/- 100 vs. 235 +/- 248, p = 0.002; MWD 297 +/- 273 vs. 474 +/- 359, p = 0.001). Improvement of PWD and MWD could be maintained at follow up (197 +/- 254, p = 0.014; 390 +/- 324, p = 0.035, respectively) with non-smokers showing significantly better sustained PWD and MWD improvement as compared to baseline. Overall, walking capacity correlated with functional status of quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Major findings of this investigation were that improvement in walking capacity is sustained after completion of supervised exercise training program with best results in patients who quitted or never smoked. Improved walking capacity is associated with increased functional status of quality of life.
Keo
H
H
Swiss Cardiovascular Center, Division of Angiology, Inselspital Bern, University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland. keo.hakhong@insel.ch
Grob
E
E
Guggisberg
F
F
Widmer
J
J
Baumgartner
I
I
Schmid
J-P
JP
Kalka
C
C
Saner
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking