Exercise Test and Sequential Training Strategies in PAD

Diabetic lower extremity disease, including peripheral vascular disease, peripheral neuropathy, foot ulcers, or leg amputation. Among them, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is an important expression of systemic atherosclerosis. With the progress of the disease, impaired peripheral blood circulation will lead to many symptoms and signs, such as pain, paresthesia, and numbness.

In past studies show that regular exercise with moderate intensity may help to improve metabolism and hemodynamic characteristics of the individual. In addition, many studies have found that despite substantial organic changes in downstream tissue, exercise training can improve walking ability and aerobic capacity in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

To enhance exercise capacity in patients with PAD may involve redistribution of blood flow from vascular beds with lower O 2 exchange rates towards exercising ischemic muscles, an increase in nutritive leg muscle blood flow at the expense of regional shunting mechanisms, increased peripheral O 2 use during exercise attributable to more optimal distribution of leg blood flow, and possible increased muscle capillary density and mitochondrial capacity.

Therefore, we tried to mimic local (leg) ischemic- reperfusion by systemic exercise, or to practice remote preconditioning effect by interval occlusion of the blood vessel in the upper arm which acquired ischemic preconditioning effect, and to improve local blood flow. Furthermore, the hemagglutination performance in PAD patients may also be used as an important indicator of cardiovascular disease.