[Evaluation of intermittent claudication using a treadmill with measurement of systolic pressure at the ankle following exercise].

Intermittent claudication (IC) and maximum walking distance (MWD) were studied in 173 patients and compared to post-stress Doppler claudicant ankle pressure (PSCAP) and to ankle index (PSCAI) recorded 2 minutes after exercise. Self-evaluation of MWD by the patient was inaccurate in 60% of cases. The treadmill testing (at 12% of rate and 2 miles/hour) exhibited a clinically overt IC in 93 cases with MWD of 166 m +/- 76, a PSCAP of 24 mm Hg +/- 24 and a PSCAI of 0.17 +/- 0.17. A clinically questionable IC occurred in 50 cases with significantly higher values (p less than 0.001) for MWD (278 m +/- 75) PSCAP (52 mm Hg +/- 24) and PSCAI (0.34 +/- 0.16). In 30 cases without IC after 400 m on treadmill, the PSCAP (81 mm HG +/- 26) and the PSCAI (0.57 +/- 0.18) were significantly (p less than 0.001) higher than in IC groups and related to milder iliofemoral stenosis. Overall reproducibility of MWD (mean = 190 m +/- 90) with 2 or 3 repeated measures in 75 cases, was 10.8% +/- 8.6 with large individual variations. Overall reproducibility of PSCAP after standardized treadmill testing in 42 cases was 6.5 +/- 5.3 (range of CV = 0 to 16%). A variation of PSCAP of more than 15 mm Hg is considered significant at level 0.01. It is concluded that overt IC with foot pallor and PSACP at 40 mm Hg or less reflects actual and reproducible MWD (especially below 300 m).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)