NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The aldose reductase inhibitor fidarestat improves vibration perception and symptoms in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy, according to a report in the November issue of Clinical Drug Investigation.
In previous studies, fidarestat has shown promise in the treatment of neuropathological complications of diabetes, the authors explain.
Dr. Nigishi Hotta from Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan and colleagues used a quantitative tuning fork to examine the effects of fidarestat on the vibration perception threshold of upper and lower extremities and subjective symptoms in 22 patients with diabetic polyneuropathy.
In both the upper and lower extremities, fidarestat treatment for 24 weeks was associated with significant improvements in vibration perception, the authors report.
Fidarestat treatment also brought significant improvements in numbness, coldness and hot flushes, spontaneous pain, and pain causing difficulty in walking, the investigators note. After treatment, there were also improvements in heaviness in the foot, the sensation as if walking on sand or on an uneven surface, and dizziness.
The mean glycosylated hemoglobin level remained constant throughout the study, the results indicate.
“These results indicate that fidarestat is a potentially clinically useful agent for the treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy,” the authors conclude. “They also confirm that the C64 vibration perception test is useful for the early diagnosis of diabetic polyneuropathy and in assessing the therapeutic efficacy of drugs with potential in the treatment of this common diabetic complication.”
Source: Clinical Drug Investigation 2004;24:671-680. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Health Occupations: Health Services Administration: Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care): Quality of Health Care: Drugs, Investigational: Treatment Outcome: Outcome Assessment (Health Care): Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation: Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms: Biological Sciences: Health CareCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
