Pharmacological treatment of intermittent claudication: double blind controlled study of Sulodexide vs placebo.

A double blind placebo controlled randomized study was used to assess the clinical variations caused by Sulodexide treatment (100 mg/die) vs placebo in 30 patients with a mean age of 50.3 years suffering from peripheral arterial obstructive disease of the lower limbs (II stage). The general tolerance of the therapy was monitored over the medium-term. There were marked changes in the clinical signs and symptoms in the Sulodexide group, which showed a gradual constant improvement, while they were stationary in the placebo group. Confirmation of the marked improvement in the Sulodexide group was provided by the Winsor index which showed a significant increase in these patients while only a minimum variation was observed in the placebo group. The positive antithrombotic action of the active treatment led to an increase in the blood supply in previously ischemic regions, without creating haemorrhagic risks or disturbing the haemostatic balance. The absence of adverse reactions and good systemic tolerance is also noteworthy.