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 .
Increased endogenous nitric oxide production induced by physical exercise in peripheral arterial occlusive disease patients.
The effects of 14-day physical exercise or iloprost treatment ( 0.5 - 2 ng/Kg/min ) on endogenous nitric oxide production and neutrophil adhesion were evaluated in 20 patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease ( Fontaine Stage II ) . Peripheral venous blood sample s and 4-h urine sample s were collected before , immediately after 14 days of therapy and 7 - 10 days after therapy in order to evaluate neutrophil adhesion , nitrite/nitrate and cGMP excretion rates . A longer pain free walking distance was observed after exercise , compared to iloprost ( > 500 m in 3/10 subjects ) . Urinary nitrite/nitrate , as well as cGMP concentrations , significantly increased after exercise . Nitrite/nitrate excretion rate inversely correlated to neutrophil adhesion . No variations were observed in these parameters in iloprost treated patients . The improvement in claudication and the transient increase in urinary nitrite/nitrate suggest a possible nitric oxide-dependent mechanism for the clinical efficacy of physical exercise . The results from the present and previous observations indicate that , besides pharmacological treatments , a regular aerobic exercise improves peripheral arterial occlusive disease
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 .