Intermittent claudication is defined as:

Intermittent claudication is defined as:

• A. Pain in the lower limbs during exercise due to insufficient blood supply.
• B. Pain in the chest during exertion.
• C. Dizziness on standing.
• D. Headache with activity.

Answer: (A)

Intermittent claudication is leg muscle pain that occurs with walking or other exertion because the blood supply to the leg is not adequate for the muscles’ increased needs. This happens when arteries to the legs are narrowed or blocked, usually from atherosclerosis, so during exercise the shortage of oxygen causes ischemic pain. The pain is typically felt in the calf, is reproducible with activity, and is relieved by rest, which is why it’s called intermittent. This helps distinguish it from other symptoms like chest pain with exertion (angina), dizziness on standing, or headaches with activity, which involve different systems and causes. The correct description—pain in the lower limbs during exercise due to insufficient blood supply—captures the defining feature of intermittent claudication.

Intermittent claudication is leg muscle pain that occurs with walking or other exertion because the blood supply to the leg is not adequate for the muscles’ increased needs. This happens when arteries to the legs are narrowed or blocked, usually from atherosclerosis, so during exercise the shortage of oxygen causes ischemic pain. The pain is typically felt in the calf, is reproducible with activity, and is relieved by rest, which is why it’s called intermittent. This helps distinguish it from other symptoms like chest pain with exertion (angina), dizziness on standing, or headaches with activity, which involve different systems and causes. The correct description—pain in the lower limbs during exercise due to insufficient blood supply—captures the defining feature of intermittent claudication.