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 .
Platelet survival, atherosclerotic intermittent claudication and ticlopidine.
Platelet survival times were measured twice within 6 months using autologous 111-Indium-labelled platelets in 13 male patients diagnosed as stable intermittent claudicants . Linear , exponential , weighted mean and gamma function ( multiple-hit ) analyses were carried out on the data . Of these methods , exact mathematical models such as linear and exponential are unsuitable for the comparison of curves which may alter with treatment or disease progression . Weighted mean platelet survival correlated ( r = 0.96 ) with platelet survival calculated by the precision reference method of analysis , gamma function . Statistics were expressed from gamma function analyses unless otherwise stated . Severity of claudication was measured by doppler ; the ratio of brachial to mean ankle pressures was directly related to platelet survival ( r = 0.84 ) . In 7 patients , where duration of claudication was greater than 5 years , platelet survival was significantly reduced ( P less than 0.02 ) compared with 6 newly diagnosed claudicants of less than 18 months duration . Six r and omly selected patients were treated with 250 mg b.d . ticlopidine during one of the study periods . Ticlopidine significantly increased platelet survival ( P less than 0.02 ) in all patients irrespective of disease duration or severity . The involvement of platelets in atherosclerosis observed in these claudicants , can be reduced by therapy with ticlopidine , however , the lack of clinical improvement following long-term drug treatment only confirms the platelet 's secondary role in this disabling disease
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 .