| Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
Efficacy and Safety of Pentoxifylline in Geriatric Patients with Intermittent ClaudicationFrom Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry, and the University of California at Irvine, California College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Irvine, California
From the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, Los Angeles, California
From the Medical Research Department of Hoechst-Roussel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Somerville, New Jersey
Pharmacology Research Institute, Long Beach, California
From the Medical Research Department of Hoechst-Roussel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Somerville, New Jersey
From the Medical Research Department of Hoechst-Roussel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Somerville, New Jersey
Pharmacology Research Institute, Long Beach, California
From the University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
Pharmacology Research Institute, Long Beach, California
The effects of pentoxifylline on intermittent claudication were evaluated at a dose of 1200 mg/day in an open-label twelve-week study on geriatric patients with chronic occlusive arterial disease (COAD). Standardized treadmill testing and clinical signs and symptoms of COAD were followed up before and during drug administration. Twenty-four subjects with a mean age of 73.5 years, capa ble of walking between 20 and 200 meters on the treadmill, were entered into the trial; 22 participated for eight weeks and 19 completed the study in terms of treadmill walking distance measurements at 12 weeks. The mean walking dis tance for all patients was increased 111% over baseline at week 12. Thirteen subjects were considered drug responders (
Angiology, Vol. 40, No. 9,
795-802 (1989) |
|||
 |
|
|
 |
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
50% increase in treadmill walking distance) and 9 were considered nonresponders (<50% increase). Improve ments in clinical signs and symptoms of COAD were noted. Decreases in ele vated systemic systolic pressures (but not diastolic) were unexpectedly observed in many drug responders. Seven of 19 males reported sexual function improve ments while receiving pentoxifylline. Fourteen (58%) of the 24 subjects reported mild side effects of dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, or insom nia; no subjects were withdrawn from the study because of side effects. In sum mary, pentoxifylline improved function and symptoms in 13 of 22 geriatric patients with intermittent claudication; the drug was safe and well tolerated at the usual dosage in this geriatric patient population.