The Effects of Claudication Severity on Functional Outcomes

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects over 236 million people globally. A classic symptom of PAD is intermittent claudication (IC) which is associated with reductions in physical function. The evidence is irrefutable that supervised exercise programmes (SEP) improve pain free and maximal waking distance. However, adherence rates are poor with exercise-related pain cited as contributable factor. Exercise at mild claudication or pain- free exercise improves walking ability, however current guidelines recommend exercise should be performed to near maximal claudication to improve walking ability. Conflicting evidence exists and there is a lack of evidence that has directly compared the relative effects of exercise prescribed at different levels of claudication. Therefore, the primary objective is to directly compare the effects of exercise prescribed at different levels of claudication pain on functional outcomes

Inclusion Criteria: 1. \>18 years old 2. Resting ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) \