title: Applicability of global positioning system for the assessment of walking ability in patients with arterial claudication.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study determined for the first time the clinical applicability of a global positioning system (GPS)-monitored community-based walking ability assessment in a large cohort of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter study was conducted among PAD patients who complained of intermittent claudication. Patients equipped with a GPS device performed a community-based outdoor walk. We determined the number of technically satisfactory GPS recordings (attempt No. 1). Patients with unsatisfactory GPS recordings were asked to perform a second attempt (attempt No. 2). From the satisfactory recordings obtained after attempts No. 1 and No. 2, we analyzed several GPS parameters to provide clinical information on the patients' walking ability. Results are reported as median (interquartile range).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 218 patients performed an outdoor walk. GPS recordings were technically satisfactory in 185 patients (85%) and in 203 (93%) after attempts No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The highest measured distance between two stops during community walking was 678 m (IQR, 381-1333 m), whereas self-reported maximal walking distance was 250 m (IQR, 150-400 m; P < .001). Walking speed was 3.6 km/h (IQR, 3.1-3.9 km/h), with few variations during the walk. Among the patients who had to stop during the walk, the stop durations were <10 minutes in all but one individual.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GPS is applicable for the nonsupervised multicenter recording of walking ability in the community. In the future, it may facilitate objective community-based assessment of walking ability, allow for the adequate monitoring of home-based walking programs, and for the study of new dimensions of walking in PAD patients with intermittent claudication.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Vascular Investigations, University Hospital, Angers, France; Department of Integrated Neurovascular and Mitochondrial Biology, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1083-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 6214, Medical School, University of Angers, Angers, France; Research team "Activité Physique, Corps, Sport et Santé", Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Université Catholique de l'Ouest (UCO), Les Ponts de Cé, France.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gernigon
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Neurovascular and Mitochondrial Biology, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1083-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 6214, Medical School, University of Angers, Angers, France; Research team "Activité Physique, Corps, Sport et Santé", Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Université Catholique de l'Ouest (UCO), Les Ponts de Cé, France; Movement, Sport and Health Laboratory, EA 1274, Unité de Formation et de Recherche (UFR) Activités Physiques et Sportives, University of Rennes, Rennes, France; Department of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, École Normale Supérieure de Rennes, Bruz, France; INSERM, Centre d'investigation clinique (CIC) 1414, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Le Faucheur
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Neurovascular and Mitochondrial Biology, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1083-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 6214, Medical School, University of Angers, Angers, France; Research team "Activité Physique, Corps, Sport et Santé", Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Université Catholique de l'Ouest (UCO), Les Ponts de Cé, France.
authors.forename: Bénédicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Noury-Desvaux
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Vascular Investigations, University Hospital, Angers, France; Department of Integrated Neurovascular and Mitochondrial Biology, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1083-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 6214, Medical School, University of Angers, Angers, France; INSERM, Centre d'investigation clinique (CIC) 1414, Rennes, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Rennes, Imagerie Coeur-Vaisseaux, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mahe
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Vascular Investigations, University Hospital, Angers, France; Department of Integrated Neurovascular and Mitochondrial Biology, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1083-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 6214, Medical School, University of Angers, Angers, France. Electronic address: piabraham@chu-angers.fr.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abraham
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004867:Equipment Design; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005684:Gait; D040362:Geographic Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D057566:Self Report / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*