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 .
The development and pilot randomised controlled trial of a group education programme for promoting walking in people with intermittent claudication
The aim of this study was to develop and pilot a group education programme for promoting walking in people with intermittent claudication . Patient focus groups ( n=24 ) and literature review s were conducted to inform the development of the education programme , which involves a three-hour group-based education workshop and follow-up telephone support . A pilot study was subsequently conducted in which 23 new patients ( Rutherford category 1–3 ) were r and omly assigned to usual care ( control ) or usual care plus the education programme . Outcomes were assessed at baseline and six weeks including daily steps ( tri-axial accelerometer ) , walking capacity ( six-minute walk test and Gardner treadmill test ) , and quality of life ( Intermittent Claudication Question naire [ ICQ ] ) . Exit interviews were conducted to assess the acceptability and usefulness of the programme . Compared with controls , the intervention group had superior walking capacity and quality of life at six weeks . Mean differences in six-minute walk distance , treadmill maximum walking distance and ICQ score were 44.9 m ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 6.9 to 82.9 ) , 173 m ( 95 % CI , 23 to 322 ) , and −10.6 ( 95 % CI , −18.9 to −2.3 ) , respectively . The daily step count did not differ between groups . The exit interviews indicated that participants valued attending the programme , that it gave them a greater underst and ing of their condition , and that they had been walking more for exercise since attending . The results suggest that the education programme is feasible , acceptable , and potentially useful for improving walking capacity and quality of life . A fully-powered trial exploring clinical and cost effectiveness is needed . TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER : IS RCT N06733130 ( http://www.controlled-trials.com )
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 .