Blood viscosity during long-term treatment with ticlopidine in patients with intermittent claudication. A double-blind study

Abstract

The aim was to test within a randomized, double-blind trial whether the antiaggregant drug ticlopidine might reduce blood viscosity as has been claimed. Sixteen patients with intermittent claudication were studied before and after three years of treatment with ticlopidine, 500 mg/day, or placebo. At baseline, the viscosity values were significantly higher as compared with a reference group of healthy subjects. Whole-blood viscosity, measured at four different shear rates at hematocrit adjusted to a standard 40%, decreased significantly at follow-up, with no difference between ticlopidine treatment and placebo. Hematocrit showed a slight increase in the placebo group. The viscosity parameters were unrelated to lower limb blood flow variables, ankle/brachial index, and walking distances. The mechanism behind the overall decrease in whole-blood viscosity is obscure but could possibly be explained by lifestyle changes. Smoking habits were, however, unaltered. Since plasma viscosity remained increased, it might indicate that some erythrocyte factor, notably red cell aggregability and deformability, had improved. It is concluded that ticlopidine had no long-term effect on blood viscosity.