title: Intermittent claudication in diabetics: treatment with exercise and pentoxifylline--a 6-month, controlled, randomized trial.
abstract: The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of PXF (1600 mg daily) in diabetic patients with intermittent claudication. Of the 60 included patients, 53 completed the study (27 in the PXF group). There were seven dropouts. The groups were comparable for age, sex distribution, and total walking distance (TWD), and risk factors. There was an increase in TWD at 3 and 6 months in both groups (p<0.05) possibly due to exercise. However the increase (both absolute and percentage) in TWD was significantly larger in the PXF group. At 6 months, PXF produced a 292% increase in TWD (vs 180% produced by placebo) (p<0.02). The excess increase produced by PXF treatment was 112% at 6 months in comparison with placebo (p<0.02). Treatment was well tolerated. Between-group analysis favors PXF considering TWD, and results indicate good efficacy and tolerability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chieti University and San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Pe, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Belcaro
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: De Sanctis
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cesarone
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Incandela
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ippolito
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pomante
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Geroulakos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramaswami
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D010431:Pentoxifylline