Ticlopidine Improves Chronic Peripheral Vascular Disease Symptoms ... and appears to protect against major cardiovascular events

169 patients with chronic intermittent claudication secondary to obstructive peripheral vascular disease participated in a double-blind chnical trial to assess the effects of ticlopidine on peripheral symptoms and incidence of major cardiovascular events. Ticlopidine 250mg bid or matching placebo were randomly allocated to patients for a 24-week period. Each patient was examined every 4 weeks by treadmill walking distance assessment. Treatment success was assessed by improvement of treadmill walking distances with functional improvement and lack of critical events. 11 ticlopidine vs 3 placebo recipients increased their walking distances from 50-300m to over 1000m and 39 vs 29 were able to walk ~ 50% further. than at baseline. The mean increase in walking distance was greater in the ticlopidine-treated group (p < 0.05). Side effects included an increased frequency of diarrhoea in the ticlopidine-treated group, however, no previously unknown side effects were observed. Significantly fewer ticlopidine recipients experienced major cardiovascular events than placebo recipients (2 vs 9; p < 0.05). Thus, ' ..• since t/c/opldlne has been shown effective In Improving the symptoms of claudication and reducing the Incidence of severe Ischemic morbldny . .. ' it '. - . represents a significant advance In the treatment of chronic peripheral vascular disease'. Arcan JC. Blanchard J. Bolssel JP. Destors JM. Panak E. MultIcenter double· blond study of tlclodlpine In the treatment of IntermIttent claudIcatIon and

the pt'eventoon of its complicatoons AngIology 39 802·8" . Sep 1988 .,,,

12 INPHARMA' 14 Jan 1989 0156-2703 / 89/0114-0012/0$01 .00/0 © ADIS Press