Efficacy of Community-Based Exercise Therapy Among African American Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Participants' experiences and acceptability of a home-based walking exercise behaviour-change intervention (MOtivating Structure walking Activity in people with Intermittent Claudication (MOSAIC))

OBJECTIVES

This study explored the experiences and acceptability of a novel, home-based, walking exercise behaviour-change intervention (MOtivating Structured walking Activity in people with Intermittent Claudication (MOSAIC)) in adults with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).

DESIGN AND SETTING

Individual semi-structured audio-recorded interviews were conducted with adults with Peripheral Arterial Disease who had completed the MOSAIC intervention as part of a randomised clinical trial. Data were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis and interpreted using the seven-construct theoretical framework of acceptability of healthcare interventions (TFA).

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty participants (mean age (range) 67(54-80) years, 70% male, 55% White British) were interviewed.

RESULTS

One central theme was identified: Acceptability of walking exercise as a treatment. This theme was explained by four linked themes: Exploring walking exercise with a knowledgeable professional, Building confidence with each step, Towards self-management-learning strategies to continue walking and The impact of walking exercise. These themes were interpreted using six of the seven TFA constructs: affective attitude, burden, perceived effectiveness, intervention coherence, opportunity costs, and self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants perceived MOSAIC as an effective, acceptable, and low burden intervention. Physiotherapists were regarded as knowledgeable and supportive professionals who helped participants understand PAD and walking exercise as a treatment. Participants developed confidence to self-manage their condition and their symptoms. As participants confidence and walking capacity improved, they expanded their activities and gained a more positive outlook on their future. MOSAIC is an acceptable intervention that may facilitate adoption of and access to exercise for people with PAD.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Pre-participation Withdrawal and Noncompletion of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Peripheral Artery Disease: MATCHED COMPARISONS TO CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

PURPOSE

Despite the mortality benefit of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation, as well as its cost-effectiveness for people with peripheral artery disease (PAD), there are limited data on adherence and completion of CR in those with and without concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD). The objective of this study was to compare CR pre-participation withdrawal and noncompletion between patients with PAD and concomitant PAD and CAD (PAD/CAD) versus matched and unmatched patients with CAD (uCAD).

METHODS

Consecutively referred patients between 2006-2017 with PAD (n = 271) and PAD/CAD (n = 610) were matched to CAD by age, sex, diabetes, smoking status, and referral year. The uCAD (n = 14 487) group was included for comparison. Reasons for withdrawal were ascertained by interview.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in pre-participation withdrawal between PAD and matched CAD (46 vs 43%, P = .49), nor in noncompletion (22 vs 18%, P = .28). Results were similar for PAD/CAD and matched CAD (withdrawal: 36 vs 34%, P = .37) and (noncompletion: 25 vs 23%, P = .46). A smaller proportion of patients with uCAD withdrew (28%) than patients with PAD ( P < .001) and PAD/CAD ( P < .001), with no difference in noncompletion ( P > .40, both). There were no differences between PAD and PAD/CAD and their matched counterparts for medical and nonmedical reasons for withdrawal and noncompletion ( P ≥ .25, all).

CONCLUSION

Pre-participation withdrawal rates were similar between patients with PAD, PAD/CAD, and their matched cohorts but greater than patients with uCAD. Once patients started CR, there were similar completion rates among all groups. Reports that patients with PAD are less likely to start CR may be related to their complex medical profile rather than PAD alone. Strategies to improve participation among patients with PAD should focus on the immediate post-referral period.

Network Meta-Analysis of Trials Testing If Home Exercise Programs Informed by Wearables Measuring Activity Improve Peripheral Artery Disease Related Walking Impairment

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether home exercise programs informed by wearable activity monitors improved walking ability of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify randomised controlled trials (RCT) testing home exercise that were or were not informed by wearable activity monitors. The primary outcome was the change in walking distance measured by a six-minute walking test or treadmill test over the course of the trial. Network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed using the gemtc R statistical package. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias in RCTs (RoB 2.0). Results: A total of 14 RCTs involving 1544 participants were included. Nine trials used wearable activity monitors to inform the home exercise program tested, while five trials did not use wearable activity monitors to inform the home exercise program tested. Overall quality assessment showed 12 trials to be at low risk of bias and two trials at high risk of bias. Home exercise programs informed by wearable activity monitors significantly improved walking distance compared to non-exercise controls (Mean difference, MD: 32.8 m [95% credible interval, CrI: 6.1, 71.0]) but not compared to home exercise programs not informed by wearable activity monitors (MD: 4.7 m [95% CrI: -38.5, 55.4]). Conclusions: Home exercise informed by wearable activity monitors improve walking ability of patients with PAD. It is, however, unclear if activity monitoring informed exercise programs are more effective than exercise programs not using activity monitors.

A systematic review of racial/ethnic disparities in pharmacotherapy and surgical treatment outcomes in peripheral arterial disease among African American/non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White and Hispanic patients

Background

Lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in racial/ethnic diverse populations. However, limited data exist on treatment outcome disparities in racial/ethnic diverse populations, particularly in AA/NHB populations.

Objective

The aim of this systematic review is to analyze disparities in the outcomes of PAD treatments, particularly pharmacotherapy and surgery, among racial/ethnic groups in the US.

Methods

A comprehensive search of original investigations pertaining to PAD treatments between 2015 and 2021 was performed. Quality assessment of the studies was also completed.

Results

Fourteen studies were included. Thirteen studies reported differences in treatment outcomes for surgical intervention, and one study reported differences for concurrent surgical and pharmacotherapy. NHB and Hispanic/Latinx ethnicities were associated with decreased overall and perioperative mortality in four studies. Six studies noted increased amputation risk among racial/ethnic diverse populations. Only one study noted significant survival benefit by race/ethnicity. Three studies noted increased risk of major adverse limb events and post-operative complications. One study noted increased limb patency after intervention in racial/ethnic cohorts. Overall, all studies reported high methodological quality with adequate assessment of outcomes and follow-up of cohort.

Conclusion

In this analysis, the predominant intervention reported is surgical. Overall, racial/ethnic populations are less likely to experience PAD-associated mortality but are more likely to experience adverse events. Further studies are necessary to include all racial/ethnic diverse populations in assessing PAD therapeutic intervention outcomes. Moreover, targeted public health efforts are necessary to increase PAD educational awareness, community-driven risk modification, and patient-centered care planning.

Disparities in peripheral artery disease care: A review and call for action

Peripheral artery disease (PAD), the pathophysiologic narrowing of arterial blood vessels of the lower leg due to atherosclerosis, is a highly prevalent disease that affects more than 6 million individuals 40 years and older in the United States, with sharp increases in prevalence with age. Morbidity and mortality rates in patients with PAD range from 30% to 70% during the 5- to 15-year period after diagnosis and PAD is associated with poor health outcomes and reduced functionality and quality of life. Despite advances in medical, endovascular, and open surgical techniques, there is striking variation in care among population subgroups defined by sex, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, with concomitant differences in preoperative medication optimization, amputation risk, and overall health outcomes. We reviewed studies from 1995 to 2021 to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current impact of disparities on the treatment and management of PAD and offer action items that require strategic partnership with primary care providers, researchers, patients, and their communities. With new technologies and collaborative approaches, optimal management across all population subgroups is possible.

Effect of a Home-Based, Walking Exercise Behavior Change Intervention vs Usual Care on Walking in Adults With Peripheral Artery Disease: The MOSAIC Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Home-based walking exercise interventions are recommended for people with peripheral artery disease (PAD), but evidence of their efficacy has been mixed.

Objective

To investigate the effect of a home-based, walking exercise behavior change intervention delivered by physical therapists in adults with PAD and intermittent claudication compared with usual care.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Multicenter randomized clinical trial including 190 adults with PAD and intermittent claudication in 6 hospitals in the United Kingdom between January 2018 and March 2020; final follow-up was September 8, 2020.

Interventions

Participants were randomized to receive a walking exercise behavior change intervention delivered by physical therapists trained to use a motivational approach (n = 95) or usual care (n = 95).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was 6-minute walking distance at 3-month follow-up (minimal clinically important difference, 8-20 m). There were 8 secondary outcomes, 3 of which were the Walking Estimated Limitation Calculated by History (WELCH) questionnaire (score range, 0 [best performance] to 100), the Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (score range, 0 to 80 [80 indicates negative perception of illness]), and the Theory of Planned Behavior Questionnaire (score range, 3 to 21 [21 indicates best attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, or intentions]); a minimal clinically important difference was not defined for these instruments.

Results

Among 190 randomized participants (mean age 68 years, 30% women, 79% White race, mean baseline 6-minute walking distance, 361.0 m), 148 (78%) completed 3-month follow-up. The 6-minute walking distance changed from 352.9 m at baseline to 380.6 m at 3 months in the intervention group and from 369.8 m to 372.1 m in the usual care group (adjusted mean between-group difference, 16.7 m [95% CI, 4.2 m to 29.2 m]; P = .009). Of the 8 secondary outcomes, 5 were not statistically significant. At 6-month follow-up, baseline WELCH scores changed from 18.0 to 27.8 in the intervention group and from 20.7 to 20.7 in the usual care group (adjusted mean between-group difference, 7.4 [95% CI, 2.5 to 12.3]; P = .003), scores on the Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire changed from 45.7 to 38.9 in the intervention group and from 44.0 to 45.8 in the usual care group (adjusted mean between-group difference, -6.6 [95% CI, -9.9 to -3.4]; P < .001), and scores on the attitude component of the Theory of Planned Behavior Questionnaire changed from 14.7 to 15.4 in the intervention group and from 14.6 to 13.9 in the usual care group (adjusted mean between-group difference, 1.4 [95% CI, 0.3 to 2.5]; P = .02). Thirteen serious adverse events occurred in the intervention group, compared with 3 in the usual care group. All were determined to be unrelated or unlikely to be related to the study.

Conclusions and Relevance

Among adults with PAD and intermittent claudication, a home-based, walking exercise behavior change intervention, compared with usual care, resulted in improved walking distance at 3 months. Further research is needed to determine the durability of these findings.

Trial Registrations

ISRCTN Identifier: 14501418; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03238222.

Use of a Smartphone App Versus Motivational Interviewing to Increase Walking Distance and Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Adults With Peripheral Artery Disease: Pilot Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND

Walking therapy improves functional outcomes in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Less is known about the additive benefit of a dietary intervention.

OBJECTIVE

Our objectives were to develop a smartphone app and, as a pilot, explore its potential efficacy as compared to motivational interviewing (MI) to increase walking distance and promote weight loss in overweight/obese adults with PAD.

METHODS

We conducted a 3-month, 2-arm randomized pilot study at the University of Kansas. Inclusion criteria were BMI >27 kg/m² and symptomatic PAD, defined by an ankle-brachial index <0.9. Patients were randomized into 2 groups: MI, delivered through in-person and telephone counseling, and app, a mobile smartphone app. Both interventions encouraged walking for exercise and healthy dietary habits (increasing fruits and vegetables and whole grains while reducing fat and sugary drinks). We assessed medical history at baseline. At baseline and 3 months, participants completed an assessment of 6-minute walking distance, weight, quality of life, exercise behaviors, and dietary habits. The primary outcome was 3-month change in walking distance. Secondary outcomes were changes in weight, quality of life, exercise behaviors, and dietary habits. We used a Wilcoxon rank-sum test to analyze the primary and secondary outcomes at 3 months within the MI and app groups and to compare the changes between the groups with adjustment for baseline.

RESULTS

We randomized 29 participants with a mean age of 66.03 (SD 8.12) years; 25 participants completed the trial. At baseline, mean walking distance among completers was 260.40 (SD 94.32) meters and 326.15 (SD 69.28) meters for MI and app participants, respectively. At 3 months, the mean walking distance was 298.67 (SD 101.20) meters and 331.19 (SD 58.63) meters for MI and app participants, respectively (group difference P=.03, adjusting for baseline). Increase in walking distance at 3 months was 40.5 meters (95% CI 6.77 to 61.34; P=.02) in MI group. At baseline, mean body weight was 253.10 (SD 59.45) lbs and 225.13 (SD 58.93) lbs for MI and app participants, respectively. At 3 months, mean body weight was 242.14 (SD 58.54) lbs and 223.44 (SD 59.54) lbs for MI and app, respectively (group difference P=.006, adjusting for baseline). Pre-post study decrease in weight was 10.1 lbs (95% CI -17.9 to -3.0) and 2.3 lbs (95% CI -3.4 to -0.7) in MI and app group, respectively. Comparing baseline to 3 months, there were no statistically significant differences in quality of life, exercise behaviors, or dietary habits.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates that MI can promote walking and weight loss in overweight/obese adults with PAD. The smartphone app showed a small weight loss but no statistically significant increase in walking distance. As this was a pilot study, future large-scale studies are needed to replicate the efficacy of MI to promote weight loss in overweight or obese adults with PAD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03694652; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03694652.

Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease: Contemporary Epidemiology, Management Gaps, and Future Directions: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects >230 million adults worldwide and is associated with increased risk of various adverse clinical outcomes (other cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke and leg outcomes such as amputation). Despite its prevalence and clinical importance, PAD has been historically underappreciated by health care professionals and patients. This underappreciation seems multifactorial (eg, limited availability of the first-line diagnostic test, the ankle-brachial index, in clinics; incorrect perceptions that a leg vascular disease is not fatal and that the diagnosis of PAD would not necessarily change clinical practice). In the past several years, a body of evidence has indicated that these perceptions are incorrect. Several studies have consistently demonstrated that many patients with PAD are not receiving evidence-based therapies. Thus, this scientific statement provides an update for health care professionals regarding contemporary epidemiology (eg, prevalence, temporal trends, risk factors, and complications) of PAD, the present status of diagnosis (physiological tests and imaging modalities), and the major gaps in the management of PAD (eg, medications, exercise therapy, and revascularization). The statement also lists key gaps in research, clinical practice, and implementation related to PAD. Orchestrated efforts among different parties (eg, health care providers, researchers, expert organizations, and health care organizations) will be needed to increase the awareness and understanding of PAD and improve the diagnostic approaches, management, and prognosis of PAD.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral artery disease is an obstructive, atherosclerotic disease of the lower extremities causing significant morbidity and mortality. Black Americans are disproportionately affected by this disease while they are also less likely to be diagnosed and promptly treated. The consequences of this disparity can be grim as Black Americans bear the burden of lower extremity amputation resulting from severe peripheral artery disease. The risk factors of peripheral artery disease and how they differentially affect certain groups are discussed in addition to a review of pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment modalities. The purpose of this review is to highlight health care inequities and provide a review and resource of available recommendations for clinical management of all patients with peripheral artery disease.

Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease Without Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia: A Review

IMPORTANCE

Lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects approximately 8.5 million people in the US and approximately 230 million worldwide.

OBSERVATIONS

Peripheral artery disease is uncommon before aged 50 years but affects up to 20% of people aged 80 years and older. It can be noninvasively diagnosed with the ankle-brachial index (ABI), a ratio of Doppler-recorded pressures in the dorsalis pedis and/or posterior tibial artery in each leg to brachial artery pressures. An ABI value less than 0.90 is 57% to 79% sensitive and 83% to 99% specific for arterial stenosis of at least 50%. Intermittent claudication, consisting of exertional calf pain that does not begin at rest and that resolves within 10 minutes of rest, is considered the classic symptom of PAD. However, 70% to 90% of people with an ABI value less than 0.90 either report no exertional leg symptoms (ie, asymptomatic) or report leg symptoms with walking that are not consistent with classic claudication. Over time, people with PAD restrict walking activity or slow walking speed to avoid leg symptoms. Thus, although approximately 75% of people with PAD report no change in leg symptoms over time, those with PAD have significantly greater annual declines in 6-minute walk performance compared with those without it. Approximately 11% of people with PAD develop chronic limb-threatening ischemia, the most severe form of PAD. Compared with people without PAD, those with the disease have approximately twice the rate of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and major coronary events at 10-year follow-up. High-dose statins and antiplatelet therapy with or without antithrombotic therapy reduced rates of coronary events and stroke in people with PAD. Supervised treadmill exercise improved 6-minute walk distance by 30 to 35 m, consistent with a clinically meaningful change, whereas effective home-based walking exercise interventions improved 6-minute walk by 42 to 53 m. Effective home-based exercise programs require behavioral methods, including monitoring by a coach.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Peripheral artery disease affects approximately 230 million people worldwide and is associated with increased rates of cardiovascular events, lower extremity events, and functional decline compared with that of people without PAD. People with PAD should be treated with the highest dose of statin tolerated, antithrombotic and/or antiplatelet therapy, and exercise.

Effect of Low-Intensity vs High-Intensity Home-Based Walking Exercise on Walk Distance in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease: The LITE Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Supervised high-intensity walking exercise that induces ischemic leg symptoms is the first-line therapy for people with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD), but adherence is poor.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether low-intensity home-based walking exercise at a comfortable pace significantly improves walking ability in people with PAD vs high-intensity home-based walking exercise that induces ischemic leg symptoms and vs a nonexercise control.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Multicenter randomized clinical trial conducted at 4 US centers and including 305 participants. Enrollment occurred between September 25, 2015, and December 11, 2019; final follow-up was October 7, 2020.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants with PAD were randomized to low-intensity walking exercise (n = 116), high-intensity walking exercise (n = 124), or nonexercise control (n = 65) for 12 months. Both exercise groups were asked to walk for exercise in an unsupervised setting 5 times per week for up to 50 minutes per session wearing an accelerometer to document exercise intensity and time. The low-intensity group walked at a pace without ischemic leg symptoms. The high-intensity group walked at a pace eliciting moderate to severe ischemic leg symptoms. Accelerometer data were viewable to a coach who telephoned participants weekly for 12 months and helped them adhere to their prescribed exercise. The nonexercise control group received weekly educational telephone calls for 12 months.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was mean change in 6-minute walk distance at 12 months (minimum clinically important difference, 8-20 m).

RESULTS

Among 305 randomized patients (mean age, 69.3 [SD, 9.5] years, 146 [47.9%] women, 181 [59.3%] Black patients), 250 (82%) completed 12-month follow-up. The 6-minute walk distance changed from 332.1 m at baseline to 327.5 m at 12-month follow-up in the low-intensity exercise group (within-group mean change, -6.4 m [95% CI, -21.5 to 8.8 m]; P = .34) and from 338.1 m to 371.2 m in the high-intensity exercise group (within-group mean change, 34.5 m [95% CI, 20.1 to 48.9 m]; P < .001) and the mean change for the between-group comparison was -40.9 m (97.5% CI, -61.7 to -20.0 m; P < .001). The 6-minute walk distance changed from 328.1 m at baseline to 317.5 m at 12-month follow-up in the nonexercise control group (within-group mean change, -15.1 m [95% CI, -35.8 to 5.7 m]; P = .10), which was not significantly different from the change in the low-intensity exercise group (between-group mean change, 8.7 m [97.5% CI, -17.0 to 34.4 m]; P = .44). Of 184 serious adverse events, the event rate per participant was 0.64 in the low-intensity group, 0.65 in the high-intensity group, and 0.46 in the nonexercise control group. One serious adverse event in each exercise group was related to study participation.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among patients with PAD, low-intensity home-based exercise was significantly less effective than high-intensity home-based exercise and was not significantly different from the nonexercise control for improving 6-minute walk distance. These results do not support the use of low-intensity home-based walking exercise for improving objectively measured walking performance in patients with PAD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02538900.

Association of six-minute walk distance with subsequent lower extremity events in peripheral artery disease

The prognostic significance of the six-minute walk distance for lower extremity events in people with peripheral artery disease (PAD) is unknown. This longitudinal study assessed whether a poorer six-minute walk distance at baseline was associated with higher rates of subsequent lower extremity atherosclerotic disease events in PAD. A total of 369 patients (mean age 69.4 ± 10.0 years; mean ankle–brachial index (ABI) 0.67 ± 0.17; 31% women; 30% black individuals) from Chicago-area medical centers with PAD were enrolled. Participants underwent baseline six-minute walk testing and returned for annual study visits. Lower extremity events consisted of one or more of the following: ABI decline greater than 15% or medical record adjudicated lower extremity revascularization, critical limb ischemia, or amputation. At a mean follow-up of 33.3 months, lower extremity events occurred in 66/123 (53.7%) people in the first (worst) tertile of six-minute walk performance, 55/124 (44.4%) in the second tertile, and 56/122 (45.9%) in the third (best) tertile. After adjusting for age, sex, race, ABI, comorbidities, and other confounders, participants in the first (worst) tertile of six-minute walk distance at baseline had higher rates of lower extremity events during follow-up, compared to those in the best tertile at baseline (HR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.17–2.60, p = 0.0067). Among people with PAD, a poorer six-minute walk distance was associated with higher rates of subsequent lower extremity PAD-related events after adjusting for confounders. Further study is needed to determine whether interventions that improve six-minute walk distance can reduce lower extremity adverse events in people with PAD.

Meaningful change in 6-minute walk in people with peripheral artery disease

OBJECTIVE

The 6-minute walk test is a common outcome measure in clinical trials of people with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, what constitutes a meaningful change in the 6-minute walk distance has not been well defined for people with PAD. The present study related the change in the 6-minute walk distance to the degree of participant-reported improvement or decline in the 6-minute walk distance to define a meaningful change in the 6-minute walk distance for those with PAD.

METHODS

Participants with PAD from three observational longitudinal studies completed the walking impairment questionnaire (WIQ) distance score and 6-minute walk at baseline and 1 year later. The WIQ distance score measures participants' perceived difficulty walking seven different distances without stopping (ranging from walking around the home to walking 5 blocks) on a 0 to 4 Likert scale, with 0 representing an inability to walk the distance and 4 representing no difficulty. The mean changes in the 6-minute walk distance corresponding to the participants' report of no change, 1-unit change, or 2-unit change, respectively, in the Likert scale score between the baseline and 1-year follow-up measures were calculated for each WIQ distance.

RESULTS

A total of 777 participants with PAD (mean age, 71.2 ± 8.8 years; mean baseline 6-minute walk distance, 350.1 ± 118.1 meters) completed 5439 questions about their difficulty walking each WIQ distance at baseline and follow-up. Participants with PAD who reported no change in their difficulty in walking each WIQ distance between baseline and follow-up had a decline of 7.2 meters (95% confidence interval [CI], -11.6 to -2.8 meters) in the 6-minute walk test. Relative to those reporting no change in difficulty walking, the participants reporting 1- and 2-point improvements in walking ability showed 6-minute walk distance improvements of 7.8 meters (95% CI, -0.3 to 15.9 meters) and 20.1 meters (95% CI, 1.1-39.2 meters), respectively. Relative to those reporting no change in walking difficulty, those reporting 1- and 2-point declines in perceived walking difficulty showed declines of -11.2 meters (95% CI, -19.0 to -3.4 meters) and -23.8 meters (95% CI, -37.4 to -10.3 meters) in the 6-minute walk distance.

CONCLUSIONS

Among people with PAD, ∼8- and ∼20-meter improvements in the 6-minute walk distance represent small and large improvements in walking ability, respectively. People with PAD who reported no change in their ability to walk distances over 1 year simultaneously declined by a mean of 7 meters in the 6-minute walk test. These findings will be useful for interpreting the results from randomized trials of interventions to improve the walking performance of people with PAD.