OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of L-carnitine, coadministered with simvastatin, on hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia in patients with diabetes. DESIGN: Randomised, open, parallel-group study. SETTING: One investigational centre (hospital). PATIENTS: Thirty-two patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia (total cholesterol levels > 200 mg/dl and triglyceride levels >150 mg/dl). INTERVENTIONS: PATIENTS were randomised to receive simvastatin alone (n = 16) or simvastatin plus L-carnitine (n = 16) for 60 days. Both treatments were given orally. Simvastatin was administered, in both groups, at a dosage of 20 mg/day, while L-carnitine was administered at a dosage of 2000 mg/day twice daily. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES AND RESULTS:Plasma levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were measured at baseline and at 30 and 60 days after starting treatment. In both groups, there was a progressive improvement in all measured parameters during the study period. However, triglyceride levels decreased to a significantly greater extent in patients co-treated with L-carnitine (from 266.8 mg/dl at baseline to 153.8 mg/dl at 60 days) compared with those receiving simvastatin alone (from 300.2 to 227.8 mg/dl, respectively; p = 0.012 vs combined treatment). HDL-cholesterol levels increased from 49.8 mg/dl at baseline to 51.8 mg/dl at 60 days in the combined treatment group, and decreased from 51.2 to 47.8 mg/dl, respectively in simvastatin recipients, with a trend in favour of the combined treatment (p = 0.076), while no significant differences between groups were observed for total cholesterol levels. CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment with L-carnitine and simvastatin resulted in greater antihyperlipidaemic effects (i.e. a less atherogenic plasma lipid profile) than with simvastatin alone. The results of this preliminary study strongly suggest that L-carnitine may have a role among antihyperlipidaemic strategies.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of L-carnitine, coadministered with simvastatin, on hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia in patients with diabetes. DESIGN: Randomised, open, parallel-group study. SETTING: One investigational centre (hospital). PATIENTS: Thirty-two patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia (total cholesterol levels > 200 mg/dl and triglyceride levels >150 mg/dl). INTERVENTIONS:PATIENTS were randomised to receive simvastatin alone (n = 16) or simvastatin plus L-carnitine (n = 16) for 60 days. Both treatments were given orally. Simvastatin was administered, in both groups, at a dosage of 20 mg/day, while L-carnitine was administered at a dosage of 2000 mg/day twice daily. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES AND RESULTS: Plasma levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were measured at baseline and at 30 and 60 days after starting treatment. In both groups, there was a progressive improvement in all measured parameters during the study period. However, triglyceride levels decreased to a significantly greater extent in patients co-treated with L-carnitine (from 266.8 mg/dl at baseline to 153.8 mg/dl at 60 days) compared with those receiving simvastatin alone (from 300.2 to 227.8 mg/dl, respectively; p = 0.012 vs combined treatment). HDL-cholesterol levels increased from 49.8 mg/dl at baseline to 51.8 mg/dl at 60 days in the combined treatment group, and decreased from 51.2 to 47.8 mg/dl, respectively in simvastatin recipients, with a trend in favour of the combined treatment (p = 0.076), while no significant differences between groups were observed for total cholesterol levels. CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment with L-carnitine and simvastatin resulted in greater antihyperlipidaemic effects (i.e. a less atherogenic plasma lipid profile) than with simvastatin alone. The results of this preliminary study strongly suggest that L-carnitine may have a role among antihyperlipidaemic strategies.
Authors: T A Golper; M Wolfson; S Ahmad; R Hirschberg; P Kurtin; L A Katz; R Nicora; D Ashbrook; J D Kopple Journal: Kidney Int Date: 1990-11 Impact factor: 10.612
Authors: B Lacour; S Di Giulio; J Chanard; C Ciancioni; M Haguet; B Lebkiri; C Basile; T Drüeke; R Assan; J L Funck-Brentano Journal: Lancet Date: 1980-10-11 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: M Florentin; M S Elisaf; C V Rizos; V Nikolaou; E Bilianou; C Pitsavos; E N Liberopoulos Journal: Lipids Date: 2016-12-02 Impact factor: 1.880
Authors: Omid Asbaghi; Sara Kashkooli; Mohammad Reza Amini; Hossein Shahinfar; Kurosh Djafarian; Cain C T Clark; Sakineh Shab-Bidar Journal: J Cardiovasc Thorac Res Date: 2020-09-07