Intermittent claudication, exercise, and blood rheology.

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Exercise Physiology
• Hematology

Background:

• Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and claudication are associated with abnormal blood rheology.
• Abnormalities include increased blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, and red cell aggregation.
• These rheological changes contribute to impaired blood flow and symptoms like claudication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of regular exercise on walking distance and blood rheology in patients with claudication.
• To determine if exercise can normalize hemorrheologic parameters.
• To explore exercise as a potential hemorrheologic therapy for ischemic diseases.

Main Methods:

• Forty-two patients with stable claudication were divided into two groups.
• Group I (n=22) underwent standardized treadmill exercise for 2 months.
• Group II (n=20) served as a control group without exercise; blood rheology was assessed.

Main Results:

• Group I showed over 100% increase in maximal and pain-free walking distances.
• Blood and plasma viscosity, blood cell filterability, and red cell aggregation normalized in Group I.
• These hemorrheologic parameters remained abnormal in Group II and differed significantly from controls post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• Standardized treadmill exercise is clinically effective for improving claudication symptoms.
• Exercise induces significant improvements in blood rheology, normalizing parameters towards those of healthy controls.
• Physical training can be considered a form of hemorrheologic therapy for ischemic conditions, potentially improving blood fluidity.