All guidelines worldwide strongly recommend exercise as a pillar of the management of patients affected by lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). Exercise therapy in this setting presents different modalities, and a structured programme provides optimal results. This clinical consensus paper is intended for clinicians to promote and assist for the set-up of comprehensive exercise programmes to best advice in patients with symptomatic chronic PAD. Different exercise training protocols specific for patients with PAD are presented. Data on patient assessment and outcome measures are narratively described based on the current best evidence. The document ends by highlighting disparities in access to supervised exercise programmes across Europe and the series of gaps for evidence requiring further research.
Keywords: Exercise training; Intermittent claudication; Physical activity; Quality of life; Vascular rehabilitation.
© 2024 the European Society of Cardiology, the European Society of Vascular Medicine, and the European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology, by Hogrefe AG on behalf of European Society of Vascular Medicine and by Elsevier B.V on behalf of European Society for Vascular Surgery. All rights reserved. The articles are identical except for minor stylistic and spelling differences in keeping with each journal's style. Either citation can be used when citing this article.