Role of pentoxifylline in combined therapy of lower extremity arterial diseases at the outpatient stage

Regardless of a stage, lower extremity arterial diseases are still quite common among the adult population. A surgical intervention (an open or endovascular method depending on nature and extent of the condition) is used to manage severe lower limb ischemia. Patients with asymptomatic disease or intermittent claudication (up to IIb according to the Fontaine-Pokrovsky classification) may improve their quality of life and increase a pain-free walking distance due to conservative treatment methods. They include risk factor management, routine walking exercises, and pharmacotherapy. In addition to antiplatelet agents prescribed to all patients with a symptomatic arterial disease of the lower extremities, vasoactive drugs affecting a number of pathogenetic links of atherosclerosis and intermittent claudication are available. Such drugs include pentoxifylline preparations. The drug product has fibrinolytic, antithrombotic and endothelioprotective effects. Since efficiency and safety have been confirmed by many studies conducted several decades ago, pentoxifylline is still in the repertoire of a vascular surgeon. However, one ought to bear in mind that the peak therapeutic effect can be achieved only in combination with walking exercises and risk factor modification in refined patients (i. e., compliant subjects without critical ischemia). Keywords: pentoxifylline, intermittent claudication, conservative treatment, atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial diseases, lower extremity arterial diseases. For citation: Chupin A.V., Korshunov D.A. Role of pentoxifylline in combined therapy of lower extremity arterial diseases at the outpatient stage. RMJ. 2025;3:46–50. DOI: 10.32364/2225-2282-2025-3-9