مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Ultrasound Assessment of Intima-Media Thickness and Femoral Artery Compliance in Response to Cilostazol Treatment

Abstract :

Objective: Cilostazol is a drug which is used to treat the intermittent claudication walking disorder which is a symptom of peripheral arterial disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of cilostazol treatment on femoral artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and arterial compliance in patients with intermittent claudication by using ultrasound. Materials and Methods: The measurements were performed on femoral arteries of twenty-nine patients with stable intermittent claudication. IMT and compliance were measured noninvasively by using a high-resolution ultrasound system at 3 and 6 months of treatment with cilostazol (100 mg, twice daily). Arterial compliance was assessed by using indices such as cross-sectional compliance (CSC), cross-sectional distensibility (CSD) and elastic modulus (EM). Comparisons of the data were performed at the baseline, 3rd month and 6th month of treatment by two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: With regard to IMT, cilostazol produced a significant decrease between the samplings (20.0% and 62.0% at the end of the 3 months and 6 months, respectively). Compared to the baseline values, the percentage of increase in CSC was 100.9% and 340.5%, and the percentage of increase in CSD was 67.2% and 172.7%, while EM decreased by 23.1% and 56.4% at the end of the 3rd and 6th months, respectively. Conclusion: High-resolution ultrasound based determination of arterial wall compliance, in addition to IMT, provides quantitative data in noninvasive monitoring of the response to cilostazol treatment in patients with IC. Such data may also help in monitoring the overall cardiovascular risk.