Background: Patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD) experience deteriorating ambulatory function and consequently impaired quality of life (QOL). QOL in patients receiving prostaglandin E(1) in lipid microspheres (lipo-PGE(1); Liple) for the treatment of PAD has not been evaluated using the Japanese version of the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ).
Methods and results: Data from 169 patients (98 men, 71 women; mean [median] age, 74+/-10 [74] years) with an ankle-brachial pressure index <0.9 were analyzed. WIQ scores and symptom scores significantly improved after lipo-PGE(1) treatment (P<0.01). Physicians' assessments of global improvement significantly correlated with all 4 WIQ subscales (R< or =0.31).
Conclusions: WIQ is a valid tool for evaluating therapeutic response in patients with PAD. Lipo-PGE(1) improves QOL as evaluated by patients themselves.