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 .
Effects of ticlopidine on blood fibrinogen and blood viscosity in peripheral atherosclerotic disease.
Ten patients with peripheral atherosclerotic disease(PAD ) treated with 750 mg/d of 5-(2-chlorophenylmethyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothieno ( 3,5-c-pyridine ) hydrochloride ( ticlopidine , Tiklid )  were studied for three months . As control was studied a similar group of patients treated with a traditional vasodilator ( nicotinate ) . The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of ticlopidine both on the clinical evolution of the disease and on rheologic , coagulative and platelet parameters . A progressive increase of maximal walking distance was noted during the three months of therapy with ticlopidine and limited to the first 30 days of treatment with nicotinate . The fibrinogen levels result ed significantly lowered during 90 days of treatment with ticlopidine , while that was not evident in the nicotinate group . There was also a slight improvement of blood viscosity in the ticlopidine group ( not evident in the nicotinate group ) , but it was not statistically significant . No further modifications of investigated data were found in the two groups of patients . The clinical benefit of ticlopidine in PAD without adverse reactions can be confirmed at least at the dosage of 750 mg/d instead of the usual dose of 500 mg/d . A direct or indirect action of ticlopidine on plasma fibrinogen is suggested . This observation may supply new clues for the underst and ing of the mechanism of action of this drug
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 .