Treatment efficacy of intermittent claudication by surgical intervention, supervised physical exercise training compared to no treatment in unselected randomised patients I: one year results of functional and physiological improvements.

Abstract

to compare the effect of surgery, exercise and simple observation on maximum exercise power in claudicants. prospective, randomised study. a total of 264 unselected claudicants were randomised to supervised exercise training, invasive treatment (open surgical or endovascular procedures) or observation. One year treatment outcomes were analysed on an intention to-treat basis. invasively treated patients showed a significant improvement in maximum walking power, stopping distance, post-ischaemic blood flow and big toe pressure at one year. Patients randomised to physical exercise training or to the control group did not improve in any outcome measure. invasive treatment increased walking capacity, leg blood pressure and flow. Supervised physical exercise training offered no therapeutic advantage compared to untreated controls.