In patients with peripheral artery disease, which therapy is recommended for symptom improvement?

In patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), supervised exercise therapy is recommended for symptom improvement due to its ability to enhance functional capacity and alleviate walking-related symptoms. This therapy involves structured and monitored exercise sessions that help patients gradually increase their walking distance and improve overall cardiovascular health.

Supervised exercise programs are particularly beneficial as they provide a safe environment and close monitoring by healthcare professionals, which ensures that patients perform physical activity at an appropriate intensity and duration. These programs not only lead to improvements in claudication (pain caused by insufficient blood flow during exercise) but also may foster better lifestyle habits, potentially reducing the progression of PAD.

While other therapies such as surgical intervention, pharmacological therapy, and dietary modifications can play roles in the comprehensive management of PAD, they are not primarily aimed at the immediate improvement of symptoms like exercise therapy is. Surgical interventions may assist in cases of severe occlusion or when revascularization is necessary, but they do not directly address symptom management in a way that supervised exercise does. Pharmacological therapy can relieve symptoms and manage cardiovascular risks but often serves as an adjunct to lifestyle changes. Dietary modification is helpful for overall cardiovascular health, yet it does not specifically target walking distance improvement in the short term.

Therefore, supervised exercise therapy stands out