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Published on: March 6, 2026
Conservative treatment for patients with intermittent claudication
I Sugimoto1, T Ohta, H Ishibashi
1Department of Vascular Surgery, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute-cho, Aichi, Japan. takum@surg2.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Summary
Supervised exercise training and pharmacotherapy significantly improved walking ability in patients with intermittent claudication. Recovery time of ankle-brachial pressure index (RT(40)) can predict treatment effectiveness for this condition.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Intermittent claudication (IC) due to arteriosclerosis obliterans significantly impairs quality of life.
- Conservative management options include pharmacotherapy and supervised exercise training (SET).
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effects of pharmacotherapy alone versus combined SET and pharmacotherapy on walking ability in patients with IC.
- To assess the utility of ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) recovery time (RT(40)) in predicting treatment outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 100 patients with stable IC.
- Patients were randomized into two groups: pharmacotherapy alone (Group A) or pharmacotherapy plus SET (Group B).
- Outcomes measured included changes in ABI, RT(40), and absolute claudication distance (ACD) before and after treatment.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed significant improvements in RT(40) and ACD.
- Group B (SET + pharmacotherapy) demonstrated improvements in RT(40) and ACD more rapidly than Group A (pharmacotherapy alone).
- Shorter baseline RT(40) was associated with greater increases in ACD post-treatment.
Conclusions:
- Both pharmacotherapy and SET are effective conservative treatments for IC.
- SET, when combined with pharmacotherapy, offers faster improvements in walking ability.
- RT(40) is a valuable predictor of treatment response in patients with IC.
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