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 .
Exercise training versus angioplasty for stable claudication. Long and medium term results of a prospective, randomised trial.
OBJECTIVES To compare percutaneous transluminal angioplasty ( PTA ) against exercise training in the treatment of stable claudication . DESIGN Prospect i ve , r and omised trial . MATERIAL S Fifty-six patients with unilateral , stable , lower limb claudication assessed prior to r and omisation , at 3 monthly intervals for 15 months , and at approximately 6 years follow-up . Thirty-seven patients were available for long term review . OUTCOME MEASURES Ankle/brachial pressure index ( ABPI ) , treadmill claudication and maximum walking distances , percentage fall in ankle systolic pressure after exercise .  RESULTS Significant increases were seen in ABPI in the patients treated with PTA at all assessment to 15 months . However in terms of improved walking performance , the most significant changes in claudication and maximum walking distance were seen in the exercise training group . At long term follow-up , there was no significant difference between the groups . Subgroup analysis by angiographic site of disease showed greater functional improvement in those patients with disease confined to the superficial femoral artery treated by exercise training . The overall prognosis for the whole group of patients was benign , with only two ( 4 % ) undergoing amputation . CONCLUSIONS Exercise training confers a greater improvement in claudication and maximum walking distance than PTA , especially in patients with disease confined to the superficial femoral artery
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 .