Contemporary management of peripheral arterial disease: II. Improving walking distance and quality of life.

Intermittent claudication (IC) is the classic complaint associated with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and can significantly limit a patient's lifestyle and workplace abilities. IC is defined as reproducible pain affecting the muscles of the lower extremities that begins and increases with activity and resolves with rest. The clinical goals of management include increasing walking distance and improving quality of life. A dedicated, supervised walking program is the foundation of IC management. In addition, two drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of IC: cilostazol and pentoxifylline. Other agents and treatment strategies have been investigated, and some show clinical promise.