title: Treatment with low dose metformin in patients with peripheral vascular disease.
abstract: Low dose metformin (500 mg b.i.d.) was tested in 11 patients with symptomatic peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in an open design. At -1, 0, 1, 4, 7 months the major lipid and lipoprotein parameters, arterial function, and fibrinolytic activity were monitored. Arterial function changes were similar to those found with a high dose (850 mg t.i.d.) metformin but plasma lipids did not change to an appreciable extent. Post-ischaemic blood flow, by plethysmography, rose 30%; the exercise capacity, evaluated by treadmill test, also increased significantly by 105.7% for relative and 53.3% for absolute claudication. Total fibrinolytic activity did not change during the treatment but the antigens of two of the major components of the fibrinolytic system, i.e. t-PA and PAI-1, were significantly reduced at the end of the study. This study gave results quite consistent with those obtained with higher metformin doses, associated with a potentially higher risk of lactic acidosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine Vergani, Niguarda Hospital, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Montanari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bondioli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rizzato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puttini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tremoli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mussoni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mannucci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pazzucconi
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Sirtori
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010991:Plethysmography; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008687:Metformin