Intermittent Claudication

Intermittent
Claudication

Having passed by the mature age of 67, I know I have to be careful about the many manifestations of cardiovascular disease. I like to keep active, so the last thing I want is chest pain or leg pain slowing me down.

When cholesterol-laden plaques substantially narrow the coronary arteries, the result is angina--chest pain brought on by exertion. When the same process occurs in the arteries of the legs, the result is intermittent claudication, which causes leg pain when you exercise. The pain tends to show up after you've walked a short distance.

Intermittent claudication is the most common symptom of what's known as peripheral vascular disease. The pain results from poor oxygenation of the leg muscles because of reduced blood flow in the narrowed leg arteries.

Among cardiovascular diseases, the ones we hear most about are heart attack, stroke, angina and congestive heart failure. Intermittent claudication doesn't get much press, but it's a leading cause of pain and loss of mobility in the elderly. About 750,000 Americans develop it annually.

Green Pharmacy for Intermittent Claudication

If you have intermittent claudication, you should be under the care of a doctor, who will usually prescribe medications to deal with the condition. I'm convinced that many people could get off the pharmaceuticals and feel better if they knew about herbal alternatives. You should discuss this possibility with your doctor, but do not stop taking your medications on your own. Here are the herbs that can help.

Garlic (Allium sativum). In one rigorous 12-week study, a large number of people with intermittent claudication were given 800 milligrams of garlic a day. On average, they walked noticeably better by their fifth week of taking the herb. They also had lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Garlic is a terrific herb for treating any cardiovascular symptom. For intermittent claudication prevention or therapy, eat at least one raw clove a day. There are all kinds of yummy ways to enjoy raw garlic. I suggest chopping a clove and tossing it into a salad or sprinkling it over a pasta dish.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). Ginkgo is the premier plant medicine for intermittent claudication. It improves blood flow through the legs just as it does through the heart and brain by opening (dilating) the arteries.

Nine excellent studies that I've reviewed show that 40 milligrams of ginkgo extract twice a day provide better relief than pentoxyfilline (Trental), the standard medicine prescribed for intermittent claudication. People suffering from intermittent claudication found that they could go 75 to 110 percent farther without pain if they took the herbal extract. People using Trental, on the other hand, increased their pain-free walking distance by only 65 percent.

Not only that, but ginkgo is cheaper--about $20 a month compared to more than $50 for Trental. And ginkgo side effects are minimal, consisting of occasional abdominal distress, headache or dizziness.

If you're going to use ginkgo, you need to use extracts rather than taking the leaf itself. The active compounds in ginkgo are present in very low concentrations in the leaf, too low to be of any significant benefit. When you get a standard ginkgo extract, it's a 50:1 preparation, meaning that 50 pounds of leaves are processed to get 1 pound of extract. You can purchase standardized extracts at many health food stores and pharmacies.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale). In various studies, ginger has been shown to be almost as effective, or as effective, as aspirin and garlic in preventing the blood clots that trigger heart attack. Similar clotting in the leg can trigger intermittent claudication pain. If I had this condition, I'd eat a lot of ginger.

Hawthorn (Crataegus, various species). In studies, people with intermittent claudication showed better blood flow and walking performance after being injected with hawthorn extract. Personally, I don't think you have to inject it to get the benefit.

Naturopaths recommend taking 120 to 240 milligrams of a standardized extract containing 1.8 percent vitexin-4-rhamnoside or 10 percent oligomeric procyanidins three times a day.

Hawthorn is a powerful heart medicine. If you want to use this herb, please discuss it with your doctor.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea). Saturated fat is a major culprit in causing any form of cardiovascular disease, including intermittent claudication. The beneficial oils known as omega-3 fatty acids help prevent cardiovascular disease, and purslane is our best leafy source of omega-3's. It's also extremely well endowed with antioxidants, substances that mop up free radicals, highly reactive oxygen molecules that damage the body's cells and contribute to heart disease.

Purslane is a delicious vegetable. I steam the leaves and eat them like spinach or add them raw to salads and soups.