To assess distal blood pressures (BPs) in ankle and toe, walking capacity, intermittent claudication symptoms, physical activity and self-rated health after intermittent vacuum treatment (IVT) for peripheral artery disease (PAD). Forty-eight patients with PAD were randomised to either a control (C)-group with lifestyle changes or lifestyle changes in combination with VacuMed® treatment thrice weekly for 6 weeks. Ankle and toe BPs were measured before, after 6 weeks of intervention and after 6 weeks follow-up. Walking capacity, intermittent claudication symptoms, physical activity and self-rated health (Likert scale) were also assessed. The ankle to brachial index (ABI) and BPs in the ankle and toe decreased after 6 and 12 weeks in both groups with no difference between the groups. In the legs with the lowest ABI at baseline in each patient, there were no differences regarding ABI, BPs and toe-systolic BP index between the groups after either the intervention or the follow-up period. The BPs decreased in both groups. The walking distance and the time to pain were unchanged in the IVT-group and increased in the C-group after the follow-up period, but without any significant differences between the groups. The level of objectively tested physical activity and self-rated health remained unchanged throughout the study in both the IVT- and the C-group. There were no differences between the changes of the self-rated health data during the study period between the IVT- and the C-group. VacuMed® had no effect per se on distal blood pressures, walking capacity, intermittent claudication symptoms, physical activity and self-rated health.
Keywords: Blood pressure; ankle–brachial index; intermittent claudication; peripheral artery disease; vacuum therapy; walking.