Nattokinase (NK) is a
serine protease enzyme with fibrinolytic activity. Even if it could be used for the treatment of several diseases, no data have been published supporting its use patients who underwent
vascular surgery. In this study, we evaluated both the efficacy and the safety of
nattokinase (100 mg/day per os) in patients admitted to
vascular surgery. Patients were of both sexes, >18 years of age, with
vascular diseases (i.e.,
deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein
thrombosis, venous insufficiency), and naïve to specific pharmacological treatments (
anticoagulants or anti-platelets). Patients were divided into three groups. Group 1: patients with
deep vein thrombosis, treated with
fondaparinux plus
nattokinase. Group 2: patients with
phlebitis, treated with
enoxaparin plus
nattokinase. Group 3: patients with
venous insufficiency after classical surgery, treated with
nattokinase one day later. During the study, we enrolled 153 patients (age 22-92 years), 92 females (60.1%) and 61 males (39.9%;), and documented that
nattokinase was able to improve the clinical symptoms (p < 0.01) without the development of
adverse drug reactions or drug interactions. Among the enrolled patients, during follow-up, we did not record new cases of
vascular diseases. Attention to patients' clinical evolution, monitoring of the INR, and timely and frequent adjustment of dosages represent the cornerstones of the safety of care for patients administered
fibrinolytic drugs as a single treatment or in pharmacological combination. Therefore, we can conclude that the use of
nattokinase represents an efficient and safe treatment able to both prevent and treat patients with
vascular diseases.