Verapamil induced increment of oxygen extraction in the arteriosclerotic limb

The acute effect of intravenously administered verapamil (0.08 mg X kg-1 body weight, mean dose 5.1 +/- 0.7 mg) on oxygen exchange and arterial blood flow (measured electromagnetically) of the lower limb was studied during reconstructive arterial surgery in 17 patients with obliterative arterial disease of the lower limbs. Verapamil increased oxygen extraction in the diseased leg by 12% (from a median value of 28.3 to 31.6 ml X litre-1, p less than 0.01) whereas it had no effect on arterial blood flow. The increment of oxygen extraction after drug administration correlated negatively with the walking distance of the patients (r = 0.69, p less than 0.01). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly by 10% and 6%, respectively, whereas heart rate remained unchanged after the administration of verapamil. The results suggest that verapamil might be beneficial in the treatment of patients with intermittent claudication, despite the fact that no vasodilatation was seen after the drug.