Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the most significant health problem in Australia and is responsible for approximately 42% of all deaths. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a condition that results from occlusion (blockage) or stenosis (narrowing) of the arteries that supply blood to the extremities. This results in inadequate blood flow in the arteries and is primarily caused by arteriosclerosis. PAD affects up to 20% of older people and greatly increases the risk of other cardiovascular diseases. In patients with PAD, the limited blood supply carmot meet the metabolic demands of the muscles of the lower extremity during exercise, Therefore, normal walking results in pain in the legs due to muscle ischaemia, which is known as intermittent claudication. Intermittent claudication occurs most commonly in the calf muscles and is associated with a severe limitation in walking ability, which may adversely affect leisure and work activities in many patients. The few treatments currently available for claudication include a program of exercise rehabilitation or invasive procedures, such as angioplasty. The primary treatment goals are the relief of claudication pain and an improvement in ease and duration of walking. In this article, we outline a resistance-training program that has been used successfully in our laboratory with these patients and offers an alternative to the more traditional walking programs that are currently recommended. Also, we believe that this program can be modified for other elderly populations who experience difficulty with walking and everyday activities. Textauszug