Abstract
A total of 55 arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) patients with hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol [TC] ≥ 220 mg/dL or low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] ≥ 140 mg/dL) were treated with LDL-apheresis. A follow-up questionnaire was sent to 39 of these patients by mail. Reported herein are effects of the LDL-apheresis and prognosis in 26 patients (17 men and 9 women) who undertook the LDL-apheresis and responded to the follow-up questionnaire. The subjective symptoms reported were investigated at three stages: before the treatment, immediately after the final LDL-apheresis, and at the follow- up observation time (March, 1993). An LDL-cholesterol level was reduced from 171 ±30 (mean ±SD) to 83 ±39 mg/dL by 10 ±3 applications of the apheresis. No aggravation in clinical symptoms was observed in any patient. Improvement rates of the clinical symptoms immediately after the final LDL-apheresis in these particular patients were as follows: foot chillness 52%, foot numbness 58%, foot dullness 81%, intermittent claudi cation 62%, foot pain at rest 75%, and ulcer at toes 100%. According to analysis of the questionnaire, these improvements in the clinical symptoms have been maintained at relatively high rates such as 69% in foot chillness, 91% in foot numbness, 100% in foot dullness, 81% in intermittent claudication, 89% in foot pain at rest, and 100% in ulcer at toes for 1.2 ± 0.8 (0.1 to 2.4) years of the observation period. The improvements are suggested to be due to the amelioration in peripheral blood flow as evidenced by devel opment of new collaterals observed on arteriograms.
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