[Effect of vinpocetin on the hemorheologic parameters in patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease]
László Szapáry1, Beáta Horváth, Tamás Alexy
1Pécsi Tudományegyetem, Altalános Orvostudományi Kar, Neurológiai Klinika. szapary@neuro.pote.hu
Insights
High-dose intravenous vinpocetine significantly improved hemorheological parameters in chronic ischemic cerebrovascular disease patients. This suggests vinpocetine
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Hematology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cerebrovascular disorders have high incidence and mortality, with limited acute treatment effectiveness.
- Chronic cerebrovascular diseases involve complex pathomechanisms, including hemorheological disturbances.
- Vinpocetine is recognized for treating cerebrovascular diseases, with prior studies showing favorable rheological effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hemorheological changes after intravenous vinpocetine administration in chronic ischemic cerebrovascular disease.
- To compare the effects of low-dose (30 mg/day) and high-dose (70 mg/day) vinpocetine over 7 days.
Main Methods:
- Thirty patients in the chronic phase of ischemic cerebrovascular disease were enrolled.
- Intravenous vinpocetine was administered at 30 mg/day and then increased to 70 mg/day for 7 days.
- Hemorheological parameters including hematocrit, blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, and red blood cell aggregation were measured.
Main Results:
- High-dose vinpocetine significantly reduced hematocrit, whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, and red blood cell aggregation (p < 0.05-0.005).
- Low-dose vinpocetine significantly improved red blood cell aggregation (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Persistent rheological abnormalities are observed in cerebrovascular patients despite preventive therapy.
- High-dose parenteral vinpocetine demonstrates beneficial rheological effects.
- Vinpocetine shows potential for treating chronic cerebrovascular diseases due to its hemorheological benefits.
Introduction:
Data collected from large number of multicenter, randomized trials in acute and chronic stroke patients provide evidence, that incidence and high mortality of cerebrovascular disorders can be decreased mainly by prevention and that the effectiveness of acute stroke treatment is limited. The terminology of "chronic cerebrovascular diseases" involves many pathologic entities and often atypical clinical symptoms refer to the focal or global hypoperfusion of the brain. However, hemorheological disturbances seem to be important factors of the complex pathomechanism. Vinpocetine has successfully been used in the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, the part of the mechanism of action are the favourable rheological effects demonstrated after oral administration in more previous studies.
Aims And Methods:
In this study the hemorheological changes after administration of small (30 mg/day) and high dose (increased to 70 mg/day) intravenous vinpocetine for 7 days in 30 patients in chronic phase of ischemic cerebrovascular disease were investigated.
Results:
High dose parenteral vinpocetine treatment significantly (p < 0.05-0.005) decreased the hematocrit, the whole blood and plasma viscosity and red blood cell aggregation compared to the values before the treatment. Only red blood cell aggregation was improved significantly (p < 0.05) by small dose treatment.
Conclusion:
This study and other hemorheological studies in cerebrovascular patients demonstrated persistent rheological abnormalities despite the preventive therapy. The beneficial rheological effect of high dose parenteral vinpocetine indicates the use of this drug in the treatment of chronic cerebrovascular diseases.
