Microcirculatory effects of elastic stockings in diabetic microangiopathy: a 24-week study

Patients with diabetic microangiopathy were studied by laser-Doppler flowmetry--measuring skin blood flux at rest (RF) and the venoarteriolar response (VAR) and evaluating the rate of ankle swelling (RAS) to study capillary filtration. After randomisation, 38 patients were treated for 24 weeks with below-knee elastic stockings, and 36--acting as controls--were left without elastic compression. After 12 and 24 weeks, there were no significant changes in the control group, while there was a significant improvement of the microcirculatory parameters in patients using stockings. RF (increased at the beginning of the study) was significantly decreased, the VAR (impaired at the beginning of the study) improved significantly and the abnormally increased capillary filtration decreased. Elastic stockings seem to be useful in diabetic microangiopathy improving microcirculatory parameters and decreasing capillary filtration and oedema. These effects may improve diabetic microangiopathy and possibly slow down its rate of progression.