Languillat 1988.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design: randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled Method of randomisation: not stated Exclusions post randomisation: none Losses to follow‐up: none
Participants	Country: France Setting: hospital Number: 20 patients Age: 20 and 65 years Gender: 1 M:19 F Inclusion criteria: symptomatic CVI and oedema Exclusion criteria: previous venous sclerosis; surgery or elastic support; trophic disturbances; ulcers or permanent oedema; cardiac, renal, hepatic insufficiency or arterial disease; Raynaud's phenomenon; lymphoedema; pregnancy; venoactive drugs; any significant change in patient lifestyle or work
Interventions	Treatment: extract Ruscus aculeatus 450 mg plus hesperidin 450 mg plus ascorbic acid 300 mg per 12 hours Control: placebo Duration: 28 days Follow‐up: 42 days
Outcomes	Primary Venous circulatory velocity measured by Xenon 133 Secondary Symptoms ‐ heavy legs, pain, paraesthesias, cramp, restlessness, swelling measured by a semiquantitative scale (0 to 3) Overall assessment by investigator Safety
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Quote: "This was a double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial with two groups of patients treated in parallel" Comment: no method of randomisation described
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Comment: no method of allocation concealment described
Blinding (patients)	Low risk	Quote: "The double‐blind nature of the trial was guaranteed by the strictly identical appearance of treatment units (capsules) as well as their packaging (bottles and bags of treatment kits)" Comment: Identical placebo ensures double‐blinding
Blinding (study researchers)	Low risk	Quote: "The double‐blind nature of the trial was guaranteed by the strictly identical appearance of treatment units (capsules) as well as their packaging (bottles and bags of treatment kits)" Comment: Identical placebo ensures double‐blinding
Blinding (outcome assessment)	Low risk	Quote: "The double‐blind nature of the trial was guaranteed by the strictly identical appearance of treatment units (capsules) as well as their packaging (bottles and bags of treatment kits)" Comment: Identical placebo ensures double‐blinding
Incomplete outcome data	Low risk	Comment: number of participants in each group described, along with the most important baseline characteristics. No losses reported
Selective reporting	Low risk	Comment: no published protocol identified, and no differences between outcomes reported in the methods section and those reported in the results section
Other bias	Low risk	Comment: none detected