Cardiovascular Responses During and After Maximal Walking in Men and Women with Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease.

Abstract Background Walking is recommended for patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). It has been shown that patients with PAD present sharper increases in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) during maximal walking when compared with healthy subjects and women with PAD present a worse physiological profile, and is possible to that women with PAD present higher cardiovascular load during and after a bout of maximal walking than men. Objective To compare cardiovascular and autonomic responses during and after maximal walking between men and women with PAD and intermittent claudication (IC). Methods Forty patients with PAD and IC (20 men and 20 women) underwent, in random order, two sessions: control (standing on treadmill) and exercise (maximal treadmill walking test with Gardner’s protocol). During the exercise, HR and BP were measured. Before and after the sessions, cardiovascular variables (BP HR, cardiac output, peripheral vascular resistance and stroke volume) and autonomic modulation (HR and BP variabilities and baroreflex sensitivity) were assessed. Additionally, an ambulatory BP monitoring was recorded after each session. Results Men and women presented similar maximal walking capacity. During the walking test, HR and systolic BP increased similarly in men and women. After the maximal walking, cardiovascular and autonomic responses did not differ between the genders. Additionally, post-intervention ambulatory BP parameters were also similar in men and women. Therefore, in men and women, maximal walking similarly reduced clinic systolic BP and stroke volume, and increased HR and total power of HR variability during the recovery period. Conclusion Men and women with PAD and IC present similar cardiovascular and autonomic responses during and after maximal walking.