HOBOKEN, NJ September 5, 2006 -- Untreated diabetic leg ulcers may result in amputations.

According to the Center of Disease Control, one out of six diabetics will require an amputation (below the knee) during their lifetime.

A study published in the July journal of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis shows that Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, heals leg ulcers in patients who suffer from diabetic leg ulcerations. The most significant findings were patients treated with oral and local Pycnogenol resulting in a 74.4 percent decrease in ulcer size within six weeks.

According to Dr. Gianni Belcaro, a lead researcher of the study, the majority of diabetic leg amputations common to the lower leg and feet, begin with the formation of skin ulcers. Impaired blood circulation in diabetics may cause tissue necrotization and discoloration which leads to development of ulcers. The open ulcer is prone to infection and difficult to heal.

The study sampled thirty diabetic patients at the Chieti-Pescara University in Italy, who suffer from severe microangiopathy causing leg ulcerations. Patients were randomly assigned to four groups. Treatment was provided daily for six weeks.

After six weeks of treatment results showed the most significant ulcer healing for patients who supplemented with combined oral and local treatment. Group 1 patients supplemented with oral and local Pycnogenol experienced a 74.4 percent decrease in leg ulcer size. Group 2 patients supplemented with local Pycnogenol experienced a 41.3 percent decrease in leg ulcer size. Group 3 patients supplemented with oral Pycnogenol experienced a 33 percent decrease in leg ulcer size. Group 4, the control group, experienced a 22 percent decrease, from disinfecting the ulcers on a daily basis. Eighty-nine percent of the patients treated with oral and local Pycnogenol were completely hea
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Contact: Melanie Nimrodi
mnimrodi@mww.com
312-546-3508
MWW Group
5-Sep-2006