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 .
Comparison of beraprost and ticlopidine in Chinese patients with chronic peripheral arterial occlusion: a multicenter, single-blind, randomized, controlled study.
BACKGROUND Chronic peripheral arterial occlusion ( CPAO ) is a progressive disease that is associated with a variety of symptoms , the 4 most common being a sensation of coolness in the limbs , intermittent claudication ( in which pain occurs on walking ) , limb pain ( which occurs spontaneously at rest ) , and ischemic leg ulcers . Beraprost sodium is an oral prostagl and in I2 analogue that may ameliorate these symptoms . OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of beraprost sodium and ticlopidine hydrochloride in the treatment of patients with CPAO in China . METHODS In this multicenter , single-blind , controlled study , patients with CPAO were r and omly assigned to receive beraprost 120-μg tablet TID or ticlopidine 500-mg tablet BID , both administered orally . The clinical efficacy of the drugs was assessed using the 4 main symptoms of CPAO . Ankle-brachial index ( ABI ) also was measured as a clinical pharmacologic procedure . Adverse events were assessed throughout the study . RESULTS A total of 124 patients ( 96 men , 28 women ; mean [ SD ] age , 65 [ 12 ] years ) were enrolled in 3 hospitals . Data from 119 patients ( 93 men , 26 women ; mean [ SD ] age , 65 [ 12 ] years ) were included in the efficacy analysis ( 64 and 55 patients in the beraprost and ticlopidine groups , respectively ) . Although all 4 symptoms of CPAO were ameliorated after 3 and 6 weeks of treatment with both drugs , only the cool sensation was significantly improved with beraprost compared with ticlopidine at 6 weeks ( P<0.05 ) . ABI was significantly increased with both beraprost and ticlopidine at 6 weeks versus baseline ( P<0.001 and P<0.01 , respectively ) , suggesting that this pharmacologic action may have led to their beneficial effect on various symptoms . The tolerability analysis included 123 patients ( 65 and 58 patients in the beraprost and ticlopidine groups , respectively ) . The numbers of patients who ( 1 ) experienced adverse events ( AEs ) , ( 2 ) experienced adverse drug reactions , and ( 3 ) withdrew due to AEs were significantly smaller in the beraprost group than in the ticlopidine group ( P<0.001 , P<0.05 , and P<0.05 , respectively ) . CONCLUSIONS In this study population of patients with CPAO , beraprost ameliorated cool sensation in the limbs , intermittent claudication , limb pain , and ischemic/leg ulcers .  Beraprost was more efficacious in relieving CPAO symptoms and was better tolerated than ticlopidine . Beraprost may be useful for the treatment of patients with CPAO  , but more studies are needed
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 .