Peripheral artery disease (PAD) also known as intermittent claudication, is a condition in which the circulation to the legs and feet is compromised by cholesterol plaques in the arteries. Medications and surgery are the mainstays of treatment, but a recent study in the February issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery, reports that of 278 persons enrolled in a walking program on a treadmill, only 16% required surgery after one year. Most of the participants that completed the study, doubled their walking distance, most without pain. “”Supervised exercise therapy represents a viable treatment of intermittent claudication with no known complications, which cannot be said of invasive treatment options,” reports lead author Dr. Joep A. W. Teijink, a vascular surgeon at Atrium Medical Centre in Heerlen, the Netherlands. So you can see, there is not substitute for exercise. So get your 30-60 minutes of activity every day for better health!