Opportunities to explore the physiology of arterial insufficiency and claudication

Walking dysfunction in patients with intermittent claudication is now understood to result from the complex interplay of large vessel atherosclerotic disease and responses/concomitant processes in small vessels/capillaries as well as in muscle tissue itself.1,2 The ankle-brachial index with toe pressures (with or without treadmill exercise) has been our primary physiologic diagnostic modality both in the clinic and research space. The clinical usefulness of the ankle-brachial index in patients with claudication is limited by its poor relationship to ambulatory capacity and limb pain symptoms.
Source: Journal of Vascular Surgery - Category: Surgery Authors: Tags: Invited commentary Source Type: research