ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

International Angiology 2012 August;31(4):310-5

Copyright © 2012 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Meta-analysis of the impact of the principal venoactive drugs agents on malleolar venous edema

Allaert F. A. ✉

Medical Evaluation Chair, Ceren ESC and Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the reduction of venous ankle edema in randomized controlled trials of the main venoactive drugs versus a placebo or versus another venoactive drug and thereby to confirm or invalidate the existing recommendations on the pharmacological treatment of venous edema.
METHODS: Publications of randomized controlled trials of venoactive drugs versus either a placebo or another venoactive drug on the reduction of ankle circumferences (AC) were searched through Medline and selected according to the Jadad and the Cucherat evaluation grids.
RESULTS: Ten publications dated between 1975 and 2009 including a total of 1010 patients were identified for the meta-analysis. Included were the following venoactive drugs: micronised purified flavonoid fraction (MPFF), hydroxyethylrutoside, ruscus extracts and diosmin. The mean reduction in AC was -0.80 ± 0.53 cm with MPFF , -0.58 ± 0.47 cm with ruscus extract, -0.58 ± 0.31 cm with hydroxyethylrutoside, -0.20 ± 0.5 cm with single diosmin, and -0.11 ± 0.42 cm with placebo. The reduction in AC was significantly superior to that of placebo whatever the drug concerned (P<0.0001). The comparison between MPFF, ruscus extract and hydroxyethylrutoside on the reduction of ankle edema was in favour of MPFF. This was significant (P<0.0001), while the efficacy of the latter two venoactive agents was comparable.
CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis confirms the validity of the grade A assigned to MPFF in the management of symptoms and edema in recent international guidelines.