Effect of frailty on physical activity levels and walking capacity in patients with peripheral artery disease: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract Background This study aimed to analyze the effect of frailty on walking capacity and physical activity levels of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Methods A cross-sectional study including 216 symptomatic PAD patients (e.g. claudication) was conducted. Moreover, the frailty profile was established, for which six-minute walk test, Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ), and physical activity level were evaluated. Results Frailty was prevalent in 13.4%, 72.2%, and 14.4% of frail, pre-frail, and not-frail patients, respectively. Walking capacity was lower in frail patients than in not-frail patients (p   0.050). Conclusion Frailty is associated with further walking impairment in patients with PAD.