Training improves walking capacity and cardiovascular function in arteritis

Patients with arteritis have a high risk of mortality from cardiovascular disorders. However, whether these patients benefit from an intervention involving exercise remains unclear. In this study, we assessed the effects of an unsupervised exercise program on walking capacity, quality of life, and cardiovascular parameters of a patient with arteritis. A 33-year-old man reporting symptoms of claudication during walking was studied. Imaging tests revealed severe atherosclerosis and arteritis was diagnosed. Five weekly sessions of walking for 16 weeks increased claudication distance and total walking distance, produced improvements in six out of the eight health-related quality-of-life domains, decreased systolic blood pressure, and changed cardiac autonomic modulation toward parasympathetic modulation. This case report showed that unsupervised exercise training improved walking capacity, quality of life, and cardiovascular parameters in a patient with arteritis.