OBJECTIVES This study was performed to identify a target population of clau
dicants for propionyl-L-carnitine treatment.
BACKGROUND Previous studies suggest that the efficacy of propionyl-L-carnit
ine in intermittent claudication is greater in patients with severe functio
nal impairment than in those with mild walking disability.
METHODS After run-in, 485 claudicant patients were randomized to placebo or
propionyl-L-carnitine (1 g bid, po) and then stratified on the basis of ma
ximal walking distance (cutoff point 250 m) and maximal walking distance va
riability (cutoff Feint 25%). Treatment lasted 12 months. Walking capacity
was assessed by treadmill and quality of life by a questionnaire exploring
various aspects of daily life.
RESULTS In the target population, that is, patients who at baseline walked
less than or equal to 250 m and showed a maximal walking distance variabili
ty less than or equal to 25%, per-protocol analysis showed that the effect
of propinyl-L-carnitine was significantly greater than that with placebo fo
r both maximal walking distance and initial claudication distance (ICD). In
the intention-to-treat population, maximal walking distance increased by 6
2 +/- 14% on propionyl-L-carnitine and by 46 +/- 9% (p < 0.05) on placebo,
while no difference between treatments was observed for ICD. The beneficial
effect of propionyl-L-carnitine mas confirmed when data of the target popu
lation were pooled with these of patients who at baseline walked less than
or equal to 250 m and showed a >25% maximal walking distance <50% variabili
ty. Actually, maximal walking distance increased by 98 +/- 16% in the propi
onyl-L-carnitine group and by only 54 +/- 10% in the placebo group (p < 0.0
1). The corresponding values for ICD were 99 +/- 21% and 51 +/- 8% (p < 0.0
5). For patients with baseline maximal walking distance >250 m, no differen
ce between treatments was observed.
CONCLUSIONS Claudicants with maximal walking distance less than or equal to
250 m benefited from the use of propionyl-L-carnitine, with improvement in
walking distance and quality of life. However, patients with mild function
al impairment (i.e., walking distance >250 m) showed no response to propion
yl-L-carnitine. (C) 1999 by the American College of Cardiology.