One-year effect of a supervised exercise programme on functional capacity and quality of life in peripheral arterial disease.
OBJECTIVE
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a chronic, progressive disease with a significant cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk burden and a considerable impact on functional capacity and quality of life (QoL). Exercise programmes result in significant improvements in walking distances but long-term effects are uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess the one-year effects of participation in a 12-week supervised exercise programme on functional capacity and QoL for PAD patients.


METHODS
Patients were randomly allocated to a control (n = 16) or an exercise (n = 28) group. Data regarding functional capacity (Walking Impairment Questionnaire WIQ), disease-specific QoL (Intermittent Claudication Questionnaire ICQ) and generic QoL (SF-36) were collected at baseline, 12 weeks and 1 year.


RESULTS
At 12 weeks, there was a trend towards improved QoL in both groups, with a tendency for greater improvement in the exercise group (p = 0.066) and a trend towards improved functional capacity (WIQ Stair-climbing p = 0.093) in the exercise group. At 1 year, ICQ scores in the exercise group were considerably better than those in the control group (p = 0.058), reflecting improved QoL and maintenance of benefits.


CONCLUSIONS
Participation in a supervised exercise programme results in improvements in functional capacity and QoL at 1 year post-participation.
School of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. mguidon@rcsi.ie
Marie
M
Guidon
Hannah
H
McGee
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking