Impact of BMI on Recovery and Quality of Life Post-Revascularization in Peripheral Arterial Disease Patients

This study included 107 patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) undergoing revascularization and aimed to evaluate the effects of body mass index (BMI) on outcomes of quality of life (intermittent claudication questionnaire - ICQ), pain-free walking distance (PFWD), and maximum claudication distance (MCD). The study included 107 patients aged 18-80 years with PAD undergoing revascularization (average age 66±6.7 years; 82% men and 18% women, average BMI 28.02±4.35). The diagnosis of PAD was made based on medical opinion and an ankle-brachial index (ABI) value of <0.9. Methods used were BMI assessment, PFWD and MCD distances assessment (treadmill test using the Gardner-Skinner protocol), and quality of life assessment (ICQ). The examination was performed twice - at 1-5 days before the planned revascularization (classical surgery, angioplasty, or hybrid) and 3 months after the procedure. A statistically significant correlation was demonstrated between the improvement of PFWD, MCD, ICQ, and patients' BMI (P<0.01). The worst results were achieved by patients with II-degree obesity (PFWD improvement by an average 10.33±0.87, MCD of 21.67±3.25, ICQ of 14.01±0.60), while the best results were obtained by those with normal body weight (PFWD improvement by an average of 52.57±2.42, MCD of 137.20±22.30, ICQ of 21.18±0.54). Patients with a higher BMI have worse PFWD and MCD distances and quality of life 3 months after revascularization, which indicates the need to consider obesity when planning therapy. Further studies are needed to better understand the impact of BMI on the effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation of patients with PAD.