Walking Is Good for Blocked Leg Arteries(ation -- growth in the number of blood ...),Health

Improved collateral circulation has not been seen in many human PAD studies of walking, he acknowledged, "but it can be very difficult to measure this kind of blood flow in patients."

Whatever the reason for improvement seen in the new study, McDermott said, "clinicians should urge all PAD patients, whether or not they have symptoms, to engage in a regular, supervised exercise program."

A recommended regimen is a 40-minute walk three times a week for at least six months, McDermott said. The walking can be done on a treadmill or a sidewalk, but it is best done with a trainer standing by, she said.

"You need a trainer, because if you start to get symptoms, you can stop and then start again until you have done the 40 minutes," she said.

Identifying PAD can be difficult for the average person. One recent study found that three-quarters of adult Americans know little or nothing about the condition, which is estimated to affect one of every 16 Americans 40 or older.

Persistent leg pain is an indication that help is needed, McDermott said. In the absence of that symptom, physicians can test for PAD by measuring the difference in blood pressure between an ankle and an arm, she said.

More information

Learn more about PAD from the American Heart Association.

SOURCES: Mary M. McDermott, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago; Ronald Terjung, Ph.D., professor of physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia; Jan. 14, 2009, Journal of the American Medical Association