The effect of L-carnitine supplementation on lipid parameters, inflammatory and nutritional markers in maintenance hemodialysis patients

What Was Tested

Researchers studied L-Carnitine in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Hence, the present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of L-Carnitine supplementation on lipid parameters, apoproteins and inflammatory and nutritional markers in HD patients.

Why It Was Studied

Protein energy malnutrition and inflammation are common and usually concurrent in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 35 patients taking part.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were middle-aged adults, both men and women.

A total of 35 patients with end-stage renal disease, on MHD for a period of 2 to 5 years were recruited into the study.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized and single-blind study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got L-Carnitine and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

In this single-blind L-Carnitine study one party knew the assignments and the other did not.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Apolipoproteins A, Apolipoproteins B, C-Reactive Protein, Carnitine, Dietary Supplements, Kidney Failure, Chronic and Lipoproteins.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and single-blind study of L-Carnitine in 35 patients.

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 2011 (Saudi journal of kidney diseases and transplantation : an official publication of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, Saudi Arabia), a journal based in Saudi Arabia.

More context: the L-Carnitine compound page, all human trials.