In patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), supervised exercise at near-moderate pain improves walking ability but not ankle-brachial index (ABI) values. In a retrospective observational study, we determined vascular and functional effects of a 6-month structured pain-free exercise program in patients with claudication and compressible vessels. Four-hundred and fifty-nine consecutive patients were studied. Segmental limb pressures were measured and ABI calculated during circa-monthly hospital visits. The 6-min (6MWD) and the pain-free walking distance (PFWD) during the 6-min walking test were determined. Two daily 8-min sessions of slow–moderate in-home walking at increasing metronome-paced speed were prescribed. After excluding patients with unmeasurable ABI or incompletion of the program, 239 patients were studied. Safe and satisfactory (88%) execution of the prescribed training sessions was reported. During the visits, bilateral ABI improved (+ 0.07; p < 0.001) as well as the segmental pressures in the more impaired limb, with changes already significant after 5 weeks of slow walking. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased overtime (F = 46.52; p < 0.001; F = 5.52; p < 0.001, respectively). 6MWD and PFWD improved (41[0‒73]m p < 0.001 and 107[42‒190]m p < 0.001, respectively) with associated decrease of walking heart rate (F = 15.91; p < 0.001) and Physiological Cost Index (F = 235.93; p < 0.001). The variations of most parameters at different visits correlated to the training load calculated. In a regression model, the PFWD variations directly correlated with rate sessions completed, training load and ABI change and inversely with the baseline value (R2 = 0.27; p < 0.001). In the PAD population studied, moderate pain-free exercise improved ABI with associated progressive functional and cardiovascular changes occurring regardless of subjects characteristics.

Structured pain-free exercise progressively improves ankle-brachial index and walking ability in patients with claudication and compressible arteries: an observational study

Manfredini F.
Primo
;
Traina L.
Secondo
;
Gasbarro V.;Straudi S.;Caruso L.;Fabbian F.;Zamboni P.;Manfredini R.
Penultimo
;
Lamberti N.
Ultimo
2022

Abstract

In patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), supervised exercise at near-moderate pain improves walking ability but not ankle-brachial index (ABI) values. In a retrospective observational study, we determined vascular and functional effects of a 6-month structured pain-free exercise program in patients with claudication and compressible vessels. Four-hundred and fifty-nine consecutive patients were studied. Segmental limb pressures were measured and ABI calculated during circa-monthly hospital visits. The 6-min (6MWD) and the pain-free walking distance (PFWD) during the 6-min walking test were determined. Two daily 8-min sessions of slow–moderate in-home walking at increasing metronome-paced speed were prescribed. After excluding patients with unmeasurable ABI or incompletion of the program, 239 patients were studied. Safe and satisfactory (88%) execution of the prescribed training sessions was reported. During the visits, bilateral ABI improved (+ 0.07; p < 0.001) as well as the segmental pressures in the more impaired limb, with changes already significant after 5 weeks of slow walking. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased overtime (F = 46.52; p < 0.001; F = 5.52; p < 0.001, respectively). 6MWD and PFWD improved (41[0‒73]m p < 0.001 and 107[42‒190]m p < 0.001, respectively) with associated decrease of walking heart rate (F = 15.91; p < 0.001) and Physiological Cost Index (F = 235.93; p < 0.001). The variations of most parameters at different visits correlated to the training load calculated. In a regression model, the PFWD variations directly correlated with rate sessions completed, training load and ABI change and inversely with the baseline value (R2 = 0.27; p < 0.001). In the PAD population studied, moderate pain-free exercise improved ABI with associated progressive functional and cardiovascular changes occurring regardless of subjects characteristics.
2022
Manfredini, F.; Traina, L.; Gasbarro, V.; Straudi, S.; Caruso, L.; Fabbian, F.; Zamboni, P.; Manfredini, R.; Lamberti, N.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11392/2475837
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