Peripheral arterial disease and exercise

Abstract

Peripheral arterial disease affects 8.3% of the population with 60 years or older in Costa Rica. Associated with systemic atherosclerosis, patients with peripheral arterial disease have an increased risk of future cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, premature death). The classic symptom of lower limb peripheral arterial disease is intermittent claudication: leg pain triggered by effort that resolves with rest. Subjects with intermittent claudication present difficulty to walk and a decreased quality of life. The optimum medical treatment (controlling associated risk factors, healthy life style, cilostazol 100mg two times a day), the surgical treatment and the endovascular treatment are all therapeutic options for symptomatic patients with peripheral arterial disease. At present, the most effective and low cost option to improve intermittent claudication is walking. In this article we present an overview of peripheral arterial disease and the benefits of exercise in patients with intermittent claudication, aiming to deliver a comprehensive guideline of the advantages associated to exercise in these patients the healthcare personnel.