[Measurement of quality of life in intermittent claudication. Clinical validation of a questionnaire].

Objectives: Functional limitation in patients with intermittent claudication impairs their quality of life. In order to measure this new evaluation parameter, we developed a self-administered questionnaire: Artemis.

Methods: The questionnaire was composed of a general instrument (SF-36) and a specific one. A cross sectional study was performed in 177 patients with intermittent claudication (mean age 68 +/- 10 years, 77% males) who stated their walking distance was limited within 50 to + 2000 meters. The acceptability, reliability and sensitivity of the questionnaire were tested.

Results: In patients who had a walking distance greater than 500 m (n = 96), the scores obtained were significantly higher (better quality of life) than in patients whose walking distance was limited to less than 500 m (n = 81) (p < 0.05). Intermittent claudication had a global effect on the different parameters of the quality of life evaluated by the questionnaire including physical performance and psychological and social aspects.

Conclusion: The Artemis questionnaire as shown its ability to describe patients with intermittent claudication. It can be used in clinical trials as a tool for measuring quality of life.