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Comparison of Pycnogenol® and Daflon® in Treating Chronic Venous Insufficiency: A Prospective, Controlled Study

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

G. Belcaro, MD, PhD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

P. Rohdewald, PhD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

L. Pellegrini, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

A. Ledda, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

G. Vinciguerra, PhD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

A. Ricci, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

G. Gizzi, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

E. Ippolito, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

F. Fano, MB

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

M. Dugall, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

G. Acerbi, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

M. Cacchio, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

A. Di Renzo

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

M. Hosoi, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

S. Stuard, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

M. Corsi, MD

Irvine2 Vascular Lab and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara University, San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Faculty of Motory Sciences, L’Aquila University, Italy

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of oral Pycnogenol® (Horphag Research Ltd., UK) in patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) in comparison to the combination of diosmin and hesperidin (Daflon®, Servier, France). A group of 86 patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), venous hypertension, ankle swelling) and previous history of venous ulcerations received either oral Pycnogenol (capsules) 150 mg or 300 mg daily for 8 weeks or Daflon, 1000 mg/day. All patients completed the study without dropouts. At the end of the study, microcirculatory results indicated: a progressive decrease of skin flux at rest (RF); a significant decrease in capillary filtration (RAS); an improvement in the symptomatic venous score (ASLS); a reduction in edema; a significant improvement (increase) in pO₂ and a decrease in pCO₂ in the Pycnogenol group. A significant level of improvement was reached after 4 weeks of treatment in most patients (p < .05) of the Pycnogenol group while clinical improvement was significant only in 6 subjects in the Daflon group. The positive effects of treatment with Pycnogenol after 8 weeks were significantly larger in comparison with the Daflon group. In conclusion, this study confirms the fast clinical efficacy of Pycnogenol in patients with chronic venous insufficiency and venous microangiopathy and its superiority—considering the evaluated parameters—to the combination of diosmin and hesperidin.

Key Words: Venous microangiopathy • Edema • Pycnogenol® • Diosmin and hesperidin • Daflon • Venous disease • Chronic venous insufficiency • Varicose veins

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