Rationale: Patients peripheral arterial disease (PAD) have impaired ambulatory function during short walking distances even before they become symptomatic with the development of intermittent claudication.

Objective: To determine whether the velocity of ambulating 4 m was related to the severity of PAD, ambulatory function, and daily physical activity.

Methods: Eighty patients (age = 67 +/- 8 years; mean +/- SD) performed 2 walking trials over a 4-m distance at their self-selected preferred pace, and the velocity of the trials was averaged. Other measures obtained were the ankle/brachial index (ABI), absolute claudication distance (ACD) to maximal leg pain during a graded treadmill exercise test, distance covered during a 6-minute walk test, and daily physical activity measured with an accelerometer worn for 2 days.

Results: The 4-m walking velocity (1.11 +/- 0.19 m/s) was related to 6-minute walk distance (379 +/- 88 m; r = 0.28; P < .001), and to daily physical activity (367 +/- 258 kcal/day; r = 0.34, P = .009), but not with ABI (0.64 +/- 0.19; r = 0.05, P=.660) and ACD (409 +/- 266; r = 0.08, P = .552).

Conclusion: The velocity of ambulating 4 m at a self-selected preferred pace is associated with ambulatory function and physical activity levels of PAD patients, independent of their vascular insufficiency and symptoms.