Haemorheological effects of fructose-1,6-diphosphate in patients with lower extremity ischaemia

A prospective, single-blind study was carried out in 30 patients with obstructive peripheral artery disease to investigate the haemorheological properties of fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP). Patients were allocated at random to receive 7 to 10-days' treatment with either 10 g or 10% FDP twice daily or saline. Measurements were made on entry and at the end of treatment of whole blood and plasma viscosity, erythrocyte deformability and aggregation, and lower limb blood flow was evaluated by Doppler technique. FDP treatment was associated with a reduction in whole blood viscosity (24%) and red blood cell aggregation index (27%), and an improvement in red blood cell deformability (42%) (p less than 0.01). No significant changes were observed in the control group. Plasma viscosity did not change in either treatment group. Limb blood flow increased (p less than 0.05) only in patients treated with FDP; the improvement was more pronounced in the most severely affected side (30%). No untoward events were observed or reported in any of the patients studied.