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Predictors of walking capacity in patients with peripheral arterial disease

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Summary

Background

Walking capacity is severely impaired in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Given the prognostic importance of walking capacity, the level of evidence on possible predictors of walking capacity in patients with PAD is insufficient.

Aims

To investigate the predictors of walking capacity in patients with PAD.

Methods

A total of 51 patients with PAD were included in this cross-sectional study. Walking capacity was determined with 6‑minute walk test (6MWT) and walking impairment questionnaire (WIQ). Functional mobility was assessed with repeated sit-to-stand test (RSS) and timed up and go test (TUG). Hand-held dynamometer was used to measurement lower extremity muscle strength. Balance was assessed with Biodex Balance System-limit of stability (BBS-LOS). Fatigue was evaluated with fatigue impact scale (FIS).

Results

There was a strong correlation between 6MWT walking distance and WIQ, two methods of assessing walking capacity (r = 0.835 p < 0.001). The 6MWT was correlated with RSS, TUG, lower extremity muscle strength, BBS-LOS and FIS. The WIQ was correlated with RSS, TUG, BBS-LOS and FIS. The RSS and FIS were independent determinants of the 6MWT and WIQ, accounting for 68% and 57% of the variance, respectively.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that functional mobility and fatigue were independent predictors of walking capacity in patients with PAD. Both subjective and objective measurement methods can be used for determining the level of walking capacity in the patients with PAD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey

    Hazal Yakut PhD PT

  2. Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey

    Didem Karadibak

  3. Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey

    Sadık Kıvanç Metin, Dündar Özalp Karabay & Tuğra Gençpınar

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  1. Hazal Yakut PhD PT
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  2. Didem Karadibak
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  4. Dündar Özalp Karabay
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  5. Tuğra Gençpınar
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by HY, DK and SKM. The first draft of the manuscript was written by HY and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hazal Yakut PhD PT.

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Conflict of interest

H. Yakut, D. Karadibak, S.K. Metin, D.Ö. Karabay and T. Gençpınar declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical standards

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants or on human tissue were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1975 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Dokuz Eylul University. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Yakut, H., Karadibak, D., Metin, S.K. et al. Predictors of walking capacity in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Wien Klin Wochenschr 136, 94–100 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-022-02078-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-022-02078-z

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