Benefits of physical conditioning in the treatment of intermittent claudication

Abstract

Intermittent Claudication (IC) is a pathognomonic symptom of obstructive peripheral arterial disease, characterized by muscle pain during physical exercise that ceases at rest. IC has a potentially benign nature, due to the low risk of progression to severe ischemia and limb loss, as well as a good chance of symptom improvement. Thus, the clinical treatment is considered appropriate and usually employed as the first therapeutic alternative; the treatment should be based on the control of the modifiable risk factors of arteriosclerosis, especially the habit of smoking. Treatment consists of the association of a pharmacological treatment and a non-pharmacological one, and the primary non-pharmacological treatment for intermittent claudication is a formal exercise program that can be performed by the patient based only on medical guidance (without supervision) or under the supervision of a professional. The mechanism by which the patient improves claudication through physical activity is yet to be fully clarified, and several factors are attributed to symptom improvement, such as the formation of new blood vessels, release of nitric oxide and action on the lipoprotein, among others.