The effect of six months intensive physical training on the circulation in the legs of patients with intermittend claudication.

Out of 94 patients with intermittent claudication 65 completed a program of 6 months intensive physical training. Every 2 months the blood pressure indices at the thigh and at the ankle and the blood flow in the calf were measured at rest, after 5 min arterial occlusion and after exercise of the calf muscles until claudication. First the reproducibility of the blood pressure indices and the blood flow values was established. An increase of 15 in the pressure indices was considered to be substantial. An increase of 6.0 ml/100 ml/min in flow values was considered a substantial change. The blood pressure indices did not increase significantly during the training period, the blood flow values increased significantly. On the basis of the non-invasive tests no reliable statement can be made as to the expected result of the training.