Pycnogenol® Significantly Reduces Chronic Venous Insufficiency
04/11/2002

Geneva, April 11, 2002 --A newly published clinical study in the journal Phytotherapy Research demonstrates that Pycnogenol® French Maritime Pine Bark Extract significantly reduces chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Specifically, Pycnogenol® significantly reduced swelling in the lower legs, as well as significantly reduced the combined average of chronic venous insufficiency symptoms such as reddening of the skin, pain and cramps. Horse Chestnut Seed Extract, widely used for CVI in Europe, showed no statistically significant changes. Through routine blood testing the study also shows Pycnogenol® improved blood cholesterol, and LDL, while Horse Chestnut Seed Extract had no changes in blood values.

According Richard A. Passwater, Ph.D., research biochemist and author of Pycnogenol® for Superior Health, “This study adds to the mounting body of scientific evidence showing Pycnogenol® improves circulation and cardiovascular health.”

In this open controlled comparative study, 40 patients, ages 34-71, diagnosed with CVI were treated with either 600 mg of Venostasin® (Horse Chestnut Seed Extract) per day or 360 mg Pycnogenol® per day over a period of 4 weeks. Both patient groups were comparable with regard to body size, body weigh, Broca-index and age. Additionally, to determine cholesterol, low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high level lipoproteins (HDL) were determined before and at the end of treatment.

During the study, each leg was separately evaluated to determine the effects of the supplements as well as to determine the progression of CVI through symptoms characterized by the condition including: pain, cramps, night-time swelling, feeling of heaviness, and reddening of the skin. Measurements of the circumference of the lower legs were also charted. The symptoms were scored using a rating system of 0-3; a score of 3 indicated a severe incidence of symptoms.

Additionally, blood was collected from patients of both groups before treatment and after completion of the trial and levels of cholesterol, low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL) were determined by standard enzymatic techniques.

Three tests were used to score the statistical significance in the study. The first was the Friedman test, which determined the improvement of symptoms before and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to evaluate the statistical significance of serum level reduction in LDL and HDL cholesterol levels. Finally, the Mann-Whitney rank sum test was used to compare differences in the parameters of Pycnogenol® versus Venostasin®.

RESULTS:

The results of this study found were threefold. First, it found that the circumference of the lower legs, indicative of swelling, was significantly reduced in patients after 2 weeks of treatment with Pycnogenol® and was further reduced after 4 weeks of treatment. The treatment with Venostasin® only produced a moderate reduction of lower leg circumference, which was not found to be statistically significant.

Secondly, the study found that Pycnogenol® significantly reduced the combined average of CVI symptoms (reddening of the skin, pain, cramps, etc.), while Venostasin® showed slight improvement in the feeling of heaviness in both legs and reddening of the skin of the left legs, however, these changes were not statistically significant.

The final study results revealed that patients treated with Pycnogenol® had significantly reduced blood levels of cholesterol and LDL, while patients treated with Venostasin® had no changes in their blood values.

Medline-link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11933130&dopt=Abstract