Antiplatelet agents have a beneficial effect in reducing all cause mortality and fatal cardiovascular events in patients with IC .
BACKGROUND Peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) is common and is a marker of systemic atherosclerosis .
Patients with symptoms of intermittent claudication ( IC ) are at increased risk of cardiovascular events ( myocardial infa rct ion ( MI ) and stroke ) and of both cardiovascular and all cause mortality .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of antiplatelet agents in reducing mortality ( all cause and cardiovascular ) and cardiovascular events in patients with intermittent claudication .
A Comparison Between Aspirin and Pentoxifylline in Relieving Claudication Due to Peripheral Vascular Disease in the Elderly
Peripheral vascular disease ( PVD ) commonly presents with leg claudication during walking and eventually limits the walking distance and daily activities . Aspirin or pentox ifylline are commonly prescribed to improve blood flow .  Aspirin works through its antiplatelet aggregation mechanism , and pentoxifylline increases the red blood cell flex ibility , which leads to increased tissue perfusion . Data on comparative studies of these drugs for improving claudication in the elderly are limited . The objective of this study was to compare pain relief offered by either aspirin or pentoxifylline for walking leg pain in the elderly with PVD . Patients sixty-five years or older with claudication were r and omly assigned to receive aspirin or pentoxifylline . Their reported level of walking claudication pain with use of the visual analogue scale ( 0 - 5 ) and the distance walked during exercises were recorded . Six weeks later the same parameters were recorded and results were compared with Student 's t test , and a P value less than 0.05 was considered a statistically significant difference . Of the 90 patients who participated , 45 received aspirin ( 325 mg daily ) and 45 were prescribed pentoxifylline ( 400 mg tid ) for six weeks . Both the aspirin and the pentoxifylline groups reported a moderate level of pain ( 2/5 ) and remained about the same ( 2/5 for aspirin and 1/5 for pentoxifylline , P = 0.9 , NS ) after six weeks . However , the pentoxifylline group reported a farther walking distance of 2 miles compared with the aspirin group of 1.2 miles ( P < 0.05 ) . The level of pain did not change significantly with either aspirin or pentoxifylline , but the walking distance was farther with the pentoxi fylline group
Antiplatelet agents have a beneficial effect in reducing all cause mortality and fatal cardiovascular events in patients with IC .
BACKGROUND Peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) is common and is a marker of systemic atherosclerosis .
Patients with symptoms of intermittent claudication ( IC ) are at increased risk of cardiovascular events ( myocardial infa rct ion ( MI ) and stroke ) and of both cardiovascular and all cause mortality .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of antiplatelet agents in reducing mortality ( all cause and cardiovascular ) and cardiovascular events in patients with intermittent claudication .