Sulodexide in Patients with Chronic Venous Disease of the Lower Limbs: Clinical Efficacy and Impact on Quality of Life

Introduction Chronic venous disease (CVD) of the lower limbs is a common problem. It is more prevalent in women than in men and has a significant impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL) and on the healthcare system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of sulodexide in adult patients with CVD of the lower limbs and its effect on patients’ QoL. Methods Patients with CVD were treated with sulodexide [250 LSU (lipasemic units) twice daily] for 3 months in a setting of real-life clinical practice. The endpoints of this observational non-comparative, open-label prospective study were the clinical efficacy of sulodexide (evaluated by scoring objective and subjective symptoms with a Likert-type scale) and the impact of sulodexide therapy on patients’ QoL [assessed using the chronic venous insufficiency quality of life questionnaire (CIVIQ)]. Results The study included 450 patients (mean age 46.9 ± 10.5 years, range 17–78 years). A greater percentage of patients were female (65.4%). Three months of treatment with sulodexide significantly improved all objective and subjective symptoms ( p