Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a food supplement containing α-lipoic acid and of a placebo on glyco-metabolic control and on oxidative stress markers in type 2 diabetics. We randomized 105 diabetics to either a supplementation containing 600 mg of α-lipoic acid, 165 mg of L-carnosin, 7.5 mg of zinc, and vitamins of group B, or a placebo, for three months. We evaluated body mass index, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post-prandial-glucose (PPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), HOMA-index (HOMA-IR), lipid profile, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA). There was a reduction of FPG, PPG, and HbA1c with the food supplement containing α-lipoic acid compared with a baseline, and with the placebo. Concerning lipid profile, we observed a reduction of LDL-C, and Tg with the food supplement, compared with both the baseline, and the placebo. There was a reduction of Hs-CRP with the food supplement containing α-lipoic acid, both compared with the baseline and the placebo. An increase of SOD, and GSH-Px, and a decrease of MDA were reached by the food supplement containing α-lipoic acid, both compared with the baseline and the placebo. We can conclude that the food supplement containing α-lipoic acid, L-carnosin, zinc, and vitamins of group B improved glycemic control, lipid profile, and anti-oxidative stress markers.
Highlights
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease
Among all diabetic neuropathy cases, about 80% seems to be distal, symmetrical sensitive-motor neuropathy [1,2]. α-lipoic acid is the treatment of choice for treating diabetic neuropathy, in combination with symptomatic therapy and physical treatment. α-lipoic acid plays the main role as the anti-oxidant (Figure 1) and metabolic component of some enzymatic reactions involved in glucose metabolism [3]
We enrolled 105 patients in this trial, 54 of which were randomized to the food supplement containing alpha-lipoic and 51 of which were randomized to the placebo
Summary
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Over 50% of diabetic patients have clinical manifestations of diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is defined by a progressive loss of nerve fibers due to a condition of chronic hyperglycemia; genetic and environmental factors play an important role. Among all diabetic neuropathy cases, about 80% seems to be distal, symmetrical sensitive-motor neuropathy [1,2]. Α-lipoic acid is the treatment of choice for treating diabetic neuropathy, in combination with symptomatic therapy and physical treatment. Α-lipoic acid plays the main role as the anti-oxidant (Figure 1) and metabolic component of some enzymatic reactions involved in glucose metabolism [3]. Synthesized α-lipoic acid is covalently bound to specific proteins, cofactors for mitochondrial dehydrogenase enzyme complexes [4].
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