Treatment of claudication with pentoxifylline: are benefits related to improvement in viscosity?
Forty-five patients with short-distance claudication were treated with pentoxifylline. The initial claudication distance increased significantly (32.5 m, p = 0.02) and the absolute claudication distance (ACD) increased significantly (49.5 m, p = 0.001) while the patients were receiving pentoxifylline. Patients with initial elevated viscosity levels were more likely to have decreased viscosity with pentoxifylline than were patients with normal viscosity levels (p = 0.01). No significant improvement in ACD or viscosity was noted in 51% of patients. Both ACD and viscosity improved in 15% of patients, viscosity improved without improvement in ACD in 9%, and ACD improved without improvement in viscosity in 25%.
D001809:Blood Viscosity / Q000187:drug effects*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013805:Theobromine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
D013805:Theobromine; D010431:Pentoxifylline