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 .
Recruitment to clinical trials of exercise: challenges in the peripheral arterial disease population.
OBJECTIVES To describe recruitment to a r and omised controlled trial of a 12-week ( twice-weekly ) supervised exercise programme for patients with peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) . PAD is a chronic , progressive disease with a significant cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk burden , and exercise is an effective primary management approach . METHOD Potential patients were identified from the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory records and invited to participate in the study . On successful completion of an incremental treadmill exercise test , patients were allocated at r and om to a control ( usual care ) or an exercise group . RESULTS Between November 2006 and June 2009 , 548 patients were identified . Of the 156 patients who met the inclusion criteria , 40 ( 26 % ) declined to participate . Of the 71 patients who underwent exercise testing  , 23 ( 32 % ) did not complete the test . The final enrolment number was 44 ( 44/156 ; 28 % ) . Eleven patients ( 11/28 ; 39 % ) subsequently withdrew from the exercise programme . CONCLUSION Recruitment to clinical trials of exercise presents significant challenges in the PAD population due to the presence of co-existing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease , a reluctance to exercise due to leg pain , and an acceptance of reduced mobility as part of ageing . Early identification in primary care before the onset of significant comorbidity may ameliorate some of these issues
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 .