VENOUS ELASTICITY AFTER TREATMENT WITH DAFLON 500 MG

It has been demonstrated that patients predisposed to the development of varicose veins have an abnormal venous tone, and may have symptoms in the absence of obvious varicosities. It has been suggested that ven otonic drugs relieve the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency by d ecreasing capillary leakage and improving venous tone. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Daflon 500 mg in patients with a bnormal venous elasticity without varicose veins. Twenty-five healthy female volunteers aged 18-35 were included in the study. They presente d with symptomatic varicose veins in one leg and an abnormal elastic m odulus without varicosities in the opposite leg. Treatment group: 12 p atients received 2 tablets of Daflon 500 mg (1000 mg/day); control gro up: 13 patients received no treatment. The elastic modulus K was deter mined using the air plethysmograph. Simultaneous measurements of calf volume changes were made in response to different venous pressures pro duced by a thigh pneumatic cuff. In the control group K (mean +/- sd) was 10.8 x 10(3) +/- 4.1 x 10(3) N/m(2) at the beginning and 10.2 x 10 (3) +/- 3.1 x 10(3) N/m(2) at the end of the study (P > 0.1). In the t reatment group the initial K was 10.2 x 10(3) +/- 3.9 x 10(3) N/m(2) a nd 14.2 x 10(3) +/- 5.1 x 10(3) N/m(2) at the end (P < 0.02). The resu lts of the Wilcoxon rank sum test indicated that 4 weeks' therapy with Daflon 500 mg is effective in improving venous tone in patients with symptoms but without varicose veins.