Physical activity appears to reduce the risk of death
in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD),
a serious life- and limb-threatening condition caused
by plaque build-up in the arteries of the legs, according
to findings in the journal Circulation.
Lower-extremity PAD affects approximately 8 million
people in the United States. "Most PAD patients are
inactive to avoid the pain of cramps in their legs,"
Dr. Mary M. McDermott, of Northwestern University,
Chicago, Illinois, and colleagues note.
The researchers followed 460 patients with PAD, average
age of 82 years, for 57 months. The patients were
interviewed about their physical activity at enrollment,
and the team used "accelerometers" to measure physical
activity continuously over 7 days in 225 subjects.
The researchers also adjusted their analysis to account
for a number of factors that could affect the results.
Overall, 134 patients died during follow-up, including
75 of the group of patients who wore accelerometers.
Higher levels of physical activity were associated
with a reduced risk of death. Patients with the lowest
levels of activity were 3.5-times more likely to die
than those with the highest levels. Similar results
were seen regarding the risks of heart attack and
stroke.
The benefit of interventions to increase physical
activity would have to be tested in a clinical trial,
the investigators say. "In the meantime, the present
findings suggest that clinicians should encourage
patients with PAD to increase their physical activity
during daily life," they conclude.
SOURCE: Circulation, July 2006.
