Correlation between Recovery Times of Lower Limb Ischemia after Walking Exercise as Measured by Near-infrared Spectroscopy and Prognosis of Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Arteriosclerosis Obliterans

Abstract

We estimated the correlation between recovery time (RT) of lower limb ischemia after walking exercise as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and prognosis of cardiovascular ischemic events in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO). Twenty-two patients were examined and the mean follow-up period was 9.2±2.1 years. The patients in whom cardiovascular events occurred (group E: n=10; 45.5%) and those in whom cardiovascular events did not occur (group N: n=12; 55.5%) showed no significant difference in RT, but the RT in the lower limb of patients with severe ischemia was longer in group E than in group N (208.1±37.0 sec vs. 146.8±33.8 sec). RT measured by NIRS may be useful as a prognostic predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with ASO.