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Relationship between free-living daily physical activity and peripheral circulation in patients with intermittent
A W Gardner1, L A Killewich, L I Katzel
1Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA.
Angiology
|May 4, 1999
Summary
Higher daily physical activity in peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) patients is linked to improved calf microcirculation. Sedentary patients showed poorer microvascular function, highlighting the importance of activity for circulation.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) with intermittent claudication significantly impairs lower extremity circulation.
- Understanding the link between daily physical activity and microcirculatory function is crucial for managing PAOD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between free-living daily physical activity and peripheral circulation in PAOD patients with intermittent claudication.
- To assess microcirculatory function under resting, reactive hyperemia, and maximal exercise conditions.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-one PAOD patients (age 70±6 years, ABI 0.57±0.24) were studied.
- Daily physical activity was quantified by energy expenditure of physical activity (EEPA) using doubly labeled water and indirect calorimetry.
- Peripheral circulation was assessed via ankle-brachial index (ABI), calf blood flow, calf transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2), and calf transcutaneous heating power (TcHP).
Main Results:
- PAOD patients were sedentary, with a mean EEPA of 486±274 kcal/day.
- EEPA was significantly associated with calf transcutaneous heating power (TcHP) at rest (r=-0.413, p=0.002), during reactive hyperemia (r=-0.381, p=0.004), and after maximal exercise (r=-0.461, p<0.001).
- No significant relationships were found between EEPA and ABI, calf blood flow, or calf TcPO2.
Conclusions:
- Increased free-living daily physical activity correlates with enhanced calf microcirculation in older PAOD patients experiencing intermittent claudication.
- Microcirculatory function, specifically TcHP, appears more sensitive to physical activity levels than macrocirculatory markers in this population.