[Tolrestat in the therapy of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: is this drug really useful?]

Abstract

The authors have studied the effect of the treatment with an aldose reductase inhibitor, tolrestat, on the peripheral diabetic neuropathy during a placebo controlled randomised trial. 74 diabetics affected by peripheral neuropathy were divided in two groups of 39 (group A) and 35 (group B) patients comparable as to age, sex, duration of diabetes and severity of the neurological symptoms. The group A was treated with tolrestat orally 200 my once daily for six months, the group B was treated with placebo. After six months an improvement of analysed symptoms (pain and paraesthesias) and objective assessments (NCV-DB) was observed in patients treated with tolrestat (group A) significantly higher than in patients treated with placebo (group B). A light improvement was found also during a control effected after three months of treatment with tolrestat. The improvement after six months of therapy was mild but significant; therefore the authors conclude that the tolrestat is an useful drug in the treatment of the peripheral diabetic neuropathy in addition to attainment of a better glycemia's control.