Abstract
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is an atherothrombotic syndrome in which there is a progressive narrowing of the arteries of the legs. Intermittent claudication is a clinical sign of symptomatic PAD.
The development of symptomatic PAD significantly affects the quality of life and, in coincidence with other atherosclerotic manifestations, increases the mortality rate in this group of patients. Our study evaluated the effect of the vasoactive substance pentoxifylline on the claudication interval in symptomatic patients with PAD.
Parenteral administration of pentoxifylline infusion therapy in a group of 50 patients with a worsening of claudication symptoms resulted in a statistically significant prolongation of the claudication interval (p < 0.01) and an increased ankle-brachial index (p < 0.001). A positive effect of intravenous pentoxifylline on the indices of the oxidative status and fibrinogen levels (p < 0.05) was seen after a 2-week wash-out period.
Similar results have been observed in patients with long-term oral treatment with pentoxifylline. From the data obtained, we consider parenteral administration of pentoxifylline in patients with PAD and a worsening of claudication symptoms to be a reasonable option, given the objectively confirmed effect on claudication pain and the increase in the ankle-brachial index.