Data showed improvements secondary to exercise in ' physical function ' and ' general health ' .
The other domains - ' role physical ' , ' bodily pain ' , ' vitality ' , ' social ' , ' role emotional ' , and ' mental health ' - did not show improvement at six months .
Although results showed significant heterogeneity between trials , population s and outcomes were comparable overall , with findings relevant to the claudicant population .
High- quality evidence shows that exercise programmes provided important benefit compared with placebo or usual care in improving both pain-free and maximum walking distance in people with leg pain from IC who were considered to be fit for exercise intervention .
Exercise did not improve ABI , and we found no evidence of an effect of exercise on amputation or mortality .
Exercise may improve quality of life when compared with placebo or usual care .
BACKGROUND Exercise programmes are a relatively inexpensive , low-risk option compared with other , more invasive therapies for treatment of leg pain on walking ( intermittent claudication ( IC ) ) .
This is the fourth up date of a review first published in 1998 .
OBJECTIVES Our goal was to determine whether an exercise programme was effective in alleviating symptoms and increasing walking treadmill distances and walking times in people with intermittent claudication .
Secondary objectives were to determine whether exercise was effective in preventing deterioration of underlying disease , reducing cardiovascular events , and improving quality of life .
Post-walking exercise hypotension in patients with intermittent claudication.
PURPOSE This study aim ed to investigate the acute effect of intermittent walking exercise ( WE ) on blood pressure ( BP ) responses in patients with intermittent claudication ( IC ) . Secondly , this study aim ed to gain improved insight into the physiological mechanisms controlling BP regulation after intermittent WE in this patient group . METHODS Twenty patients with IC participated in two experimental sessions in a r and om order , as follows : WE ( 15 × 2-min bouts of WE interpolated with 2-min rest intervals ) and control ( st and ing rest on a treadmill for 60 min ) . BP , cardiac output ( CO : CO2 rebreathing ) , and cardiovascular autonomic modulation ( spectral analysis of HR variability ) were assessed before and after both experimental sessions during supine rest , and stroke volume ( SV ) and systemic vascular resistance ( SVR ) were calculated . Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA . RESULTS WE  decreased systolic , diastolic , and mean BP , with net effects of -13 ± 2 , -5 ± 2 , and -7 ± 2 mm Hg versus control , respectively ( all P < 0.05 ) . WE also decreased SV ( -5.62 ± 1.97 mL , P < 0.05 ) and CO ( -0.05 ± 0.13 L·min(-1 ) , P < 0.05 ) versus preintervention and prevented the observed increase in SVR in the control condition ( + 4.2 ± 1.4 U , P < 0.05 ) . HR showed a decrease ( P < 0.05 ) , consistent with evidence of increased vagal modulation , in the control condition . BP measurements over the subsequent 24 h were similar between experimental conditions . CONCLUSIONS In patients with IC , WE induced a postexercise hypotension response that had a significant magnitude versus control but was not maintained over the next 24 h of daily activities . The acute postexercise hypotension response was mediated by a decrease in CO and SV , which was not compensated by an augmentation of SVR , as observed in the control arm of the study
Data showed improvements secondary to exercise in ' physical function ' and ' general health ' .
The other domains - ' role physical ' , ' bodily pain ' , ' vitality ' , ' social ' , ' role emotional ' , and ' mental health ' - did not show improvement at six months .
Although results showed significant heterogeneity between trials , population s and outcomes were comparable overall , with findings relevant to the claudicant population .
High- quality evidence shows that exercise programmes provided important benefit compared with placebo or usual care in improving both pain-free and maximum walking distance in people with leg pain from IC who were considered to be fit for exercise intervention .
Exercise did not improve ABI , and we found no evidence of an effect of exercise on amputation or mortality .
Exercise may improve quality of life when compared with placebo or usual care .
BACKGROUND Exercise programmes are a relatively inexpensive , low-risk option compared with other , more invasive therapies for treatment of leg pain on walking ( intermittent claudication ( IC ) ) .
This is the fourth up date of a review first published in 1998 .
OBJECTIVES Our goal was to determine whether an exercise programme was effective in alleviating symptoms and increasing walking treadmill distances and walking times in people with intermittent claudication .
Secondary objectives were to determine whether exercise was effective in preventing deterioration of underlying disease , reducing cardiovascular events , and improving quality of life .