EVALUATION OF HEMORHEOLOGICAL AND MICROCIRCULATORY DISTURBANCES IN CHRONIC VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY - ACTIVITY OF DAFLON 500 MG

The use of Daflon 500 mg has been shown to improve venous tone, microv ascular permeability, lymphatic activity, and microcirculatory nutriti ve flow. This study aimed to assess the effects of Daflon 500 mg at a daily dose of 2 tab/day on microcirculatory, haemorheologic parameters , white blood cell counts and neutrophil activation in patients suffer ing from chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). This was a single-centre double-blind placebo-controlled study comparing two parallel groups of CVI patients who were treated for 2 months with Daflon 500 mg (n = 39 ) or placebo (n = 38). Evaluations were performed before treatment (D- 0) and at the end of treatment (D-60) Blood samples were drawn from a foot vein before and at the end of a 15-min period of venous hypertens ion provoked by a cuff inflated to 100 mm Hg. Red blood cell (RBC) def ormability was determined by the initial flow rate filtration techniqu e using a Hanss haemorheometer. RBC aggregation was evaluated by a Myr enne aggregometer based on analysis of transmitted light through a blo od sample during flow. RBC disaggregation was evaluated by Sefam eryth ro-aggregometer based on analysis of the backscattered light through a blood sample in a Couette flow. Microcirculatory parameters were asse ssed by means of laser Doppler fluxmetry and transcutaneous oxymetry m easurements and consisted of continuous records of blood flux (BF) and TcPO2 before and during 15 min of venous hypertension. Results are ex pressed as absolute values at baseline (before stasis) and at the end of stasis, before and after 2 months of treatment. Univariate analysis showed a significant reduction of the stasis-induced RBC aggregation index (Daflon 500 mg: -0.07 +/- 0.20; placebo: 0.04 +/- 0.18; mean +/- SD; p = 0.03). Multivariate analysis identified a subset of 5 variabl es (RBC aggregation, RBC count, microcirculatory BF, amplitude and fre quency of vasomotion) that produced a good discrimination model betwee n the two treatments. Linear combination of these 5 variables in 48 pa tients with complete data showed a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the groups. These changes suggest a protective effect of Daflo n 500 mg on the deleterious influence of stasis on microcirculatory (B F) and hemorheologic (RBC aggregation) parameters in CVI patients in c omparison to patients receiving placebo.