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 .
Blood Viscosity During Long-Term Treatment with Ticlopidine in Patients with Intermittent Claudication. A Double-Blind Study
The aim was to test within a r and omized , double-blind trial whether the antiaggregant drug ticlopidine might reduce blood viscosity as has been cl aim ed . Sixteen patients with intermittent claudication were studied before and after three years of treatment with ticlopidine , 500 mg/day , or placebo . At base line , the viscosity values were significantly higher as compared with a reference group of healthy subjects . Whole-blood viscosity , measured at four different shear rates at hematocrit adjusted to a st and ard 40 % , decreased significantly at follow-up , with no difference between ticlopidine treatment and placebo .  Hema tocrit showed a slight increase in the placebo group . The viscosity parameters were unrelated to lower limb blood flow variables , ankle/brachial index , and walking distances . The mechanism behind the overall decrease in whole-blood viscosity is obscure but could possibly be explained by lifestyle changes . Smok ing habits were , however , unaltered . Since plasma viscosity remained increased , it might indicate that some erythrocyte factor , notably red cell aggregability and deformability , had improved . It is concluded that ticlopidine had no long-term effect on blood viscosity
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 .