Cardiovascular responses to an exercise test in subjects with intermittent claudication.

Resumen

Studies suggest that patients with intermittent claudication (IC) present abnormal cardiovascular responses during treadmill exercise. However, it remains unclear whether this response is influenced by the severity of the disease. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of IC severity on cardiovascular responses to an exercise test in subjects with peripheral arterial obstructive disease. Forty-seven men and women with IC, with a mean age of 65±9 years, participated in the study. The subjects underwent an exercise test on a treadmill using a specific protocol for this population. The subjects were divided into three groups according to the distance walked in the test: 1st tertile, walked from 210 to 420 m; 2nd tertile, walked from 450 to 700 m, and 3rd tertile, walked from 740 to 1060 m. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR) and rate-pressure product (RPP) were measured at rest, in the first stage of the treadmill test, and during peak exercise. SBP and DBP increased along the exercise test in the three tertiles. HR and RPP increased along the test in the three tertiles, and these increases were higher in the 1st tertile than in the other tertiles in the first stage. However, similar HR and RPP were observed for the three tertiles during peak exercise. In conclusion, the severity of IC did not affect blood pressure responses during treadmill exercise. However, HR and RPP were higher during submaximal exercise in subjects with more severe IC.