Treadmill Testing for the Evaluation of Intermittent Claudication

The usefulness of treadmill testing to evaluate treatment efficacy for intermittent claudication objectively was studied in 20 patients who received an infusion of prostaglandin E1 incorporated in lipid microspheres (Lipo-PGE1 ,10μg/day) into a forearm vein daily for 7 consecutive days. The pain-free walking distance, maximum walking distance and ankle pressure index (API) were measured on a treadmill (3.0 km/hour, 5% slope) before and after the Lipo-PGE1 infusion. The pain-free walking distance increased from 72.5±41.4 m before therapy to 92.0±53.7 m 7 days after Lipo-PGE1 infusion (p<0.01). However, Lipo-PGE1 did not improve the API nor lengthen the tolerated maximum walking distance. Weconcluded that the measurement of the pain-free walking distance on a treadmill is useful in the objective evaluation of intermittent claudication.

Intermittent claudication

Lipo-PGE1

Treadmill

Pain-free walking distance