Metabolic Evaluation of the Leg Blood Flow in Claudicating Patients with Arterial Obstructions at Different Levels

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Abstract
Data on the peripheral O2 utilization and lactate release during standardized leg exercise in patients with intermittent claudica-tion were correlated to the level of the main arterial obstruction as determined by arteriography and to corresponding data in normals. At comparable loads the femoral venous O2 saturation was higher the more distal the main arterial obstruction. The calculated blood flow of the exercising leg was lower in patients with proximal arterial obstructions than in those vith more distal obstructions. The absence of a corresponding difference in the ability to sustain the graded leg exercise was ascribed to differences in distribution and utilization of the available blood flow. The net release of lactate from the exercising leg seemed to be correlated to the total mass of ischemic muscle and was significantly higher than normal in all patient groups irrespective of the arterial obstruction level.