Orlistat and L-carnitine compared to orlistat alone on insulin resistance in obese diabetic patients

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of L-Carnitine in the context of insulin resistance, prediabetes & type 2 diabetes, published as a randomized controlled trial.

Their study wants to evaluate the effects of one year treatment with orlistat plus L-carnitine compared to orlistat alone on body weight, glycemic and lipid control, and insulin resistance state in type 2 diabetic patients.

Why It Was Studied

The researchers evaluated at baseline, and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months these parameters: body weight, body mass index (BMI), HbA(1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post-prandial plasma glucose (PPG), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (Tg), retinol binding protein-4 (RBP-4), resistin, visfatin, high sensitivity-C reactive protein (Hs-CRP).

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 2 patients taking part.

The age groups tagged for this paper are middle-aged adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized study.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the L-Carnitine group and the comparison group should start out alike.

What Was Measured

The researchers evaluated at baseline, and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months these parameters: body weight, body mass index (BMI), HbA(1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post-prandial plasma glucose (PPG), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (Tg), retinol binding protein-4 (RBP-4), resistin, visfatin, high sensitivity-C reactive protein (Hs-CRP).

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Anti-Obesity Agents, Carnitine, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Drug Synergism, Hypoglycemic Agents, Inflammation and Insulin Resistance.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of L-Carnitine in 2 patients in people with insulin resistance, prediabetes & type 2 diabetes.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2010 (Endocrine journal), a journal based in Japan.

More context: the L-Carnitine compound page, Insulin resistance, prediabetes & type 2 diabetes research.