Background: We aimed to determine the differences in the preferred walking speed, oxygen cost of walking and their correlations, comparing the intermittent claudication (IC) questionnaire, claudication pain scale and Borg scores in the patients with IC and the healthy subjects.

Methods: Twelve healthy subjects (group 1) and 12 patients with IC (group 2) participated in our study, one healthy control subject and three patients with IC were excluded from the study because of exclusion criteria, and remain 20 participants were evaluated (n=11 in group 1, n=9 in group 2). The participants walked on a treadmill at pre-determined speeds for the measurements of oxygen cost of walking by indirect calorimetry method. The IC questionnaire was administered prior to the test.

Results: The mean walking speed in group 1 was 77.8±11.4 m/min and 67.2±10.5 m/min in group 2 (p<0.05). The mean oxygen cost of the walking trial in healthy subjects was 0.14±0.02 mL/kg/m and 0.18±0.04 mL/kg/m in the patient group (p<0.05). In group 2, there was no correlation between the IC questionnaire score and oxygen cost, preferred walking speed, claudication pain scale score, and Borg score. The oxygen cost of walking was significantly correlated with the maximal walking distance (MWD) (p<0.05). There was a significant correlation between the initial claudication distance and Borg score and claudication pain scale score (p<0.001).

Conclusion: The metabolic efficiency of gait and the preferred walking speed may be reduced in PAD patients. Our study results suggest that oxygen cost of walking, preferred walking speed, Borg score, claudication pain scale score, initial claudication distance and MWD are objective parameters which can be used in monitoring the ambulatory limitation of PAD patients with IC.

Keywords : Intermittent claudication; questionnaires; treadmill test