COUNTYWIDE : Volunteers Sought for Leg Drug Study

Researchers at UCI Medical Center are looking for 25 volunteers to participate in a study of a drug that may relieve a potentially debilitating leg condition.

People with the condition, called intermittent claudication, experience aching, cramping and sometimes severe pain when they walk, but feel fine while at rest, research coordinator Judith Hopkins said. The symptoms are caused by atherosclerosis, a narrowing in the blood vessels due to plaque or fatty deposits.

The medication under study, cilostazol, enlarges the blood vessels slightly and prevents plaque from collecting against vessel walls. The drug will not cure atherosclerosis, but it may relieve symptoms, Hopkins said.

During the 14-week study, funded by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. of Rockville, Md., participants will be given the medication or a placebo.

Participants must be at least 40 years old, have symptoms of claudication, and have their own transportation to and from UCI Medical Center in Orange for the weekday tests. Reimbursement for transportation costs is available. People interested in participating should contact Hopkins at (714) 456-8359.