Effects of an ICT-Based Wearable Intervention on Physical Function in Arteriosclerosis Obliterans: A 12-Week Study

Arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) is associated with impaired walking function and claudication. However, the effects of information and communication technology (ICT)-based wearable interventions on objectively measured gait outcomes in this population have not been determined. In this 12-week intervention, 52 patients with ASO were randomly assigned to an ICT-based wearable-assisted exercise intervention (n = 30) or a control (n = 22) group. All participants wore a triaxial accelerometer-based device on the non-dominant wrist to monitor moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), expressed as average min/day. The intervention group received structured exercise guidance, including walking and lower-limb strengthening exercises, and weekly feedback based on device data; the control group received no exercise instruction or feedback. Primary outcomes were gait speed and 6 min walk test (6MWT) distance; secondary outcomes included MVPA and cognitive function. The intervention group showed significant improvements in gait speed and 6MWT distance compared with those in the control group (p < 0.05), indicating enhanced ambulatory function. An exploratory machine learning analysis suggested that gait speed and 6MWT distance are informative variables for functional-status characterization. ICT-based wearable interventions may serve as scalable approaches for functional rehabilitation in ASO; larger, longer-term studies should confirm these effects and clarify the underlying mechanisms.