[Walk training and drug therapy in peripheral arterial occlusive disease. A randomized, prospective,...

It was demonstrated in a prospective, randomized and placebo-controlled double-blind study of two groups of 15 patients each with peripheral arterial occlusive disease in stage IIb of Fontaine that the combination of intravenous and oral administration of Pentoxifylline with walk training was superior to walk training alone. Comparison of the two groups revealed a significant increase in pain-free walking capacity, as well as reduction in plasma viscosity and platelet aggregation in the patients of the combination group. A significant reduction in platelet aggregation and rigidity occurred with time in this group only, while there was no significant difference between the groups with regard to these two parameters at the end of the treatment period.