Therapeutic treatment

Abstract

The invention describes the use of betaine alone for treating and preventing arterites. The invention also describes an orally administered composition for treating arterites and, in particular, intermittent claudication, said composition containing, as an active ingredient, an active therapeutic quantity of betaine glycine by single dose. The invention particularly describes a medicament provided for treating a patient suffering from an intermittent claudication caused by peripheral circulatory disorders such as arteriosclerosis obliterans or by thromboangiitis obliterans.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for increasing the initial claudication distance in a patient suffering from peripheral arterial diseases and/or intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient, as a therapeutically active agent for increasing the initial walking distance, a composition comprising as a single active ingredient a therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of betaine of formula (CH 3 ) 3  N +  (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof, so as to increase said initial claudication distance. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of betaine of the formula (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient for at least 4 weeks. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , in which said patient has improvement of said initial claudication distance by at least 25% after 4 weeks. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of betaine of the formula (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is orally administered to said patient. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is administered to said patient with a dosage form selected from the group consisting of the once daily administration forms and the twice daily administration forms. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is administered to said patient with an extended release dosage form. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , in which at least 1000 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an immediate release dosage form. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , in which at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , in which from 250 mg to 3000 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 ) COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , in which at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form, while at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an immediate release dosage form. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single active ingredient in said composition is glycine betaine. 
     
     
         12 . A method for treating a patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases and/or intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient, as a therapeutically active agent, a composition comprising as a single active ingredient a therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of betaine of formula (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , in which the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is orally administered to said patient. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , in which the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is a unit dose of glycine betaine of at least 500 mg in immediate release dosage form. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , in which the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is administered to said patient with a dosage form selected from the group consisting of the once daily administration forms and the twice daily administration forms. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , in which the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , in which at least 1000 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3 N + (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an immediate release dosage form. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , in which at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3  N +  (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , in which from 250 mg to 3000 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3  N +  (CH 2 ) COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , in which at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3  N +  (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form, while at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH 3 ) 3  N +  (CH 2 )COO − , pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an immediate release dosage form.