Cardiovascular responses of peripheral artery disease patients during resistance exercise

BACKGROUND: Resistance training has been used for the treatment of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, cardiovascular responses during this type of exercise have not been fully elucidated in these patients. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the cardiovascular responses during resistance exercise and to verify whether there are any correlations between these responses and disease severity or blood pressure levels in patients with PAD. METHODS: Seventeen PAD patients performed one set of 10 repetitions of knee extension exercise with an intensity of 50% of one repetition maximum. The responses of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) were continuously monitored using the finger photoplethysmography technique. The rate-pressure product (RPP) was obtained by multiplication of SBP and HR. RESULTS: During the resistance exercises there were significant increases in SBP (126 ± 14 vs. 184 ± 20 mmHg, p