title: New rehabilitation program for intermittent claudication: Interval training with active recovery: pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is one of the complications of atherosclerosis. Intermittent claudication is the second stage of PAD. In controlled studies on patients with Stage II PAD, intensive rehabilitation training has proved effective for improving the walking distance in this population. The objective of this prospective study was to determine the effects of treadmill interval training followed by active recovery (low-intensity exercise).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven patients with Stage II peripheral arterial disease were included in a rehabilitation program (mean age 68.3±10.3 years) for five days a week during two weeks including global exercises, exercises below and above the level of injury. The interval training program consisted of treadmill training for 30minutes twice a day (morning and evening) with a progressively increased intensity: the first week speed was increased and the second week slope was increased. Each session included five six-minute cycles. Each cycle was made of three minutes of active workout followed by three minutes of active recovery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients improved their walking distance, from a mean of 610 m (120-1930) at the beginning of the program to a mean of 1252 m (320-2870) at the end (P=0.003). All patients were very motivated by the rehabilitation training program No adverse event was reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that an interval training program with active recovery was effective and safe for patients with Stage II peripheral arterial disease, the patients' motivation was high. This study must now be validated by a clinical trial.
authors.affiliation: Unité de rééducation vasculaire, clinique MPR, hôpital Sud, CHU, Grenoble, France. bvillemur@chu-grenoble.fr
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Villemur
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marquer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gailledrat
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benetreau
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Evra
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rabeau
authors.forename: M-P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.forename: J-Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Bouchet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carpentier
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pérennou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016138:Walking