Judgment of Arteriosclerosis by Pulse Wave Velocity and Ultrasonic Displacement (β Method): -With Special Reference to the Effects of Clinofibrate-@@@―脈波速度, 超音波変位法によるクリノフィブラート(リポクリン R )による長期効果―

In both animal experiments and in the clinic, we have reported the long-term effects of various anti-arteriosclerotics according to the pulse wave velocity method (PWV); a vascular non-invasive method of judging arteriosclerosis. In the present study, using PWV method and ultrasonic displacement method (β method), we made a long-term observation on the effect of Clinofibrate (LipoclinR), an antiarteriosclerotic and recorded its beneficial action on vascular metabolic function.Subjects and MethodsSubjects consisted of fourr experimental groups: 58 cases of arteriosclerotic group and 47 cases of medicated group for PWV method, and 24 cases of arteriosclerotic group and 40 cases of medicated group for β method. The control group consisted of 259 healthy subjects. The period of observation was 19-54 months and an examination was conducted every 3-4 months. Medication was continuously given at a dose of 1, 200mg/day (6-cap.).For comparing the PWV value for each group, early PWV value and every ten month-change were taken as zero and ΔPWV, respectively. The healthy normal group revealed little change in PWV value, with a regression coefficient of 0.006m/sec/month, while the arteriosclerotic group showed an increase in PWV value from about the 20th month after the start of medication, with regression coefficient of 0.016m/sec/month about 2.7 times as high as that of the healthy normal group. The medicated group showed similar change in PWV value to the healthy normal group without any increase even in the 50th month, with regression coefficient of as low as 0.005m/sec/month and with significant differences compared with the arteriosclerotic group from after 20th months. Also for the comparison of β value for each group, early β value was taken as zero and every ten month-change was examined. The arteriosclerotic group showed an increasing tendency, with regression coefficient of as high as 0.036/month, while the medicated group showed no distinct increase in β value even after 50th months, with regression coefficient of 0.002 one-eighteenth as low as that for arteriosclerotic group.In terms of the effectiveness, Clinofibrate was judged in 4 ways, i. e. retracting, remarkably effective, effective, and ineffective from the viewpoint of regression coefficient. For PWV method, it was retracting in 16 (34%), remarkably effective in 14 (30%), effective in 10 (21%), and ineffective in 7 (15%) of 47 cases, with rate of effectiveness of 64%, including retracting and remarkably effective profile. For β method, it was retracting in 22 (55%), remarkably effective in 6 (15%), effective in 4 (10%) and ineffective in 8 (20%) of 40 cases, with rate of effectiveness of 70%, including retracting and remarkably effective profile.The above results revealed a beneficial effect on vascular metabolic function.