The effect of exercise on fitness and performance-based tests of function in intermittent claudication: a systematic review.

Exercise is a widely accepted treatment known to improve walking ability in persons with peripheral arterial disease (PAD); however, it has not been confirmed as to whether exercise improves fitness and performance-based function and, consequently, performance of activities of daily living (ADL). This systematic review aims to identify whether any mode of structured exercise improves physical fitness or performance-based tests of function and whether improvement in walking ability is related to an improvement in these outcomes.