Lowering of plasma viscosity by the oral administration of the glycosaminoglycan sulodexide in patients with peripheral vascular disease

Abstract

The aim of the double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate whether oral administration of sulodexide, a medium molecular weight glycosaminoglycan, had an effect on whole blood, plasma and serum viscosity, and/or plasma fibrinogen concentrations. The drug was administered orally at a dose of 500 lipoproteinlipase releasing units twice daily for 1 month to two groups of 20 patients with peripheral vascular disease; one group was administered a placebo--drug sequence and the other a drug--placebo sequence. Orally administered sulodexide had a marked effect on plasma viscosity and on plasma fibrinogen concentrations, whereas there were no effects on whole blood viscosity. No significant side-effects were observed. The fact that sulodexide was highly effective, even after oral administration, suggests it may be useful for the treatment of patients with atheromatous vascular diseases of the lower limbs requiring chronic therapy.