Evidence Hub

Modified-release sildenafil reduces Raynaud's phenomenon attack frequency in limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis

Ariane L. Herrick, Frank H J van den Hoogen, Armando Gabrielli, Nihad Tamimi, Carol Reid, Damian P. O’Connell, Maria-Dolores Vazquez-Abad, Christopher P. Denton

Arthritis & Rheumatism, 2011

57 participants · 110 citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of sildenafil in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) secondary to limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc). METHODS: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 57 patients with RP secondary to lcSSc were randomized to receive modified-release sildenafil 100 mg once daily for 3 days followed by modified-release sildenafil 200 mg once daily for 25 days or placebo. The primary assessment was the percentage change in the number of RP attacks per week in the per-protocol population. Secondary end points included Raynaud's Condition Score, duration of attacks, RP pain score, endothelial dysfunction assessed by a peripheral arterial tonometric (PAT) device, and serum biomarker levels. RESULTS: The mean percentage reduction from baseline to day 28 in attacks per week was greater for modified-release sildenafil than for placebo (-44.0% versus -18.1%, P = 0.034); the mean number of attacks per week improved from 25.0 at baseline to 19.3 after placebo treatment and from 30.5 to 18.7 after modified-release sildenafil treatment (P = 0.244). Decreases from baseline in Raynaud's Condition Score, duration of attacks, and RP pain score were not significantly different between groups. Mean values and changes from baseline in PAT responses and serum biomarker levels were similar between groups. The most frequent adverse events were headache and dyspepsia; the majority of adverse events were mild or moderate. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 57 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free