When exercise induced-ischemia occurs in the lower limbs, a pain clled intermittent claudication may occur with walking, then limiting the walking capacity of the patients. This assessment of this walking capacity is challenging because patients have difficulties to assess their walking limitations. Different measurement tools have been developed to evaluate different ischemic localizations appearing in walking and the influence of exercise induced-hypoxemia. The work has demonstrated the limits of a previously validated questionnaire (Walking Impairment Questionnaire) and we have developed a new questionnaire for assessing the walking capacity. Using GPS, the concept of short-term variability of the walking capacity has also been highlighted. This short-term variability may be one of the explanations of patient difficulties to assess their walking capacity. Moreover, the optimal duration of a constant load treadmill test has been clarified. Finally, different ischemic localizations in lower limbs were presented and we showed that some patients with walking capacity limitations present an exercise-induced hypoxemia, which might be a cause of the walking capacity limitations. In conclusion, this work may help ta better assess the walking capacity for the diagnosis but also for the therapeutic management of patients with lower extremity peripheral artery disease.
