Background. The patients suffering from intermittent claudication are commonly recommended to take daily walks to facilitate their peripheral circulation thus enabling elongation of the claudication distance. It is known that treadmill exercises elongate the distance of claudication, but only a few patients are treated this way. Ischaemia-reperfusion injury of the muscle mass of the lower limbs causes general inflammatory response, which can be measured by, among others, the neutrophil count.
Aim of the investigation. The aim of the investigation was to attempt to answer the question whether daily walks could replace treadmill exercise in patients with claudication, as well as whether Bencyclane fumarate or Xanthinol nicotinate affect the results of such treatment.
Material and methods. Our examination included 75 patients, i.e. 69 men (average age 63 years) and 7 women (average age 59 years), with peripheral occlusive arterial disease stage II according to Fontaine's scale with average claudication distance of 93 meters. Double randomisation was performed on patients taking Bencyclane fumarate or Xanthinol nicotinate and subsequently within those groups on subgroups simultaneously treated with daily walks or treadmill exercises.
Results. After a 12-week course of treatment, an 88% elongation of claudication distance was achieved in patients treated with Bencyclane fumarate and treadmill exercise. A 24% improvement was observed in those treated with Bencyclane fumarate and daily walks, and 31% in the patients treated with Xanthinol nicotinate and treadmill exercise but only 2% in the patients taking Xanthinol nicotinate and daily walks. After 12 weeks of treatment, the elongation of distance in the patients after treadmill exercise and those taking Bencyclane fumarate is statistically significantly longer than the elongation of distance in the patients exercising on the treadmill and taking Xanthinol nicotinate. After 12 weeks, in the Bencyclane fumarate patients in both subgroups, an increased neutrophil count was not stated after the test march, while the increase had been stated before taking up this treatment.
Conclusions. Daily walks cannot replace treadmill exercise. This therapy combined with Bencyclane fumarate is a valuable method of treatment in patients with claudication, as it elongates claudication distance and simultaneously limits systemic consequences of ischeamia of crural muscles.