Exercise for intermittent claudication

摘要

Intermittent claudication is a common condition leading to significant functional impairment and enhanced risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, despite the functional impairment caused by intermittent claudication, the natural history in the affected limb is fairly benign. Only about 25% of patients show symptomatic deterioration and only 2% eventually lose the affected limb. This epidemiological evidence has led most clinicians in both primary and hospital care to manage intermittent claudication conservatively, addressing cardiovascular risk factors and giving advice on exercise. This may well be appropriate but merely giving advice about exercise is unlikley to be the most effective treatment.