title: Cardiovascular responses to walking in patients with peripheral artery disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study's purposes were to assess the cardiovascular responses during constant-load walking and to identify predictors of this response in peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-nine patients with PAD performed a constant-load treadmill test (2 mph, 0% grade). During the test, systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, and HR were obtained at the fourth minute to the last minute of exercise. Patients were also characterized by demographic measures, cardiovascular risk factors, baseline exercise performance, and vascular measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During constant-load walking, there was a significant increase (P < 0.01) in systolic BP (+12 ± 10 mm Hg), diastolic BP (+6 ± 9 mm Hg), and HR (+5 ± 5 bpm). The HR responses were negatively correlated with the ischemic window (r = -0.23, P < 0.05), expressed as an area under the curve of the resting ankle systolic BP and its recovery from a maximal graded treadmill test, and positively correlated with the HR during the first minute of recovery from the maximal graded treadmill test (r = 0.27, P < 0.05). The increase in cardiovascular variables during constant-load walking was greater in subjects with a higher body mass index and in men (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with PAD had an increased cardiovascular response during constant-load walking, and these responses were greater in obese patients and in men. The clinical implication is that PAD patients engaged in walking training programs, particularly men and those with obesity, require frequent assessment of cardiovascular parameters to avoid exaggerated increases in BP and HR during constant-load walking.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Education, Pernambuco University, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raphael Mendes
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ritti-Dias
authors.forename: Annelise Lins
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Meneses
authors.forename: Donald E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Polly S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Aman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khurana
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Gardner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*