The impact of peripheral arterial disease on exercise tolerance and quality of life in the elderly and the role of cardiovascular physiotherapy: review article

The primary symptom of peripheral arterial its intermittent claudication; a condition that causes functional disabilities, compromising quality of life. This review aimed to survey the impacts of this disease on the elderly, investigating possible contributions that cardiovascular physiotherapy has to offer. Searches were run on the MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, Scopus, Science Direct, and PEDro databases, identifying 7,587 studies. Seven of these met the eligibility criteria and were grouped and analyzed according evidence level, recommendation grade, and methodological quality. It was observed that this disease is responsible for considerable impact on exercise tolerance and quality of life. Regarding the therapeutic approach to these outcomes, the studies reported that there were improvements in walking and quality of life, increased functional capacity, and reduced pain. With regard to the treatment modality, most research included aerobic exercises.