Effects of Oral L-Carnitine Supplementation on Lipid Profile, Anemia, and Quality of Life in Chronic Renal Disease Patients under Hemodialysis: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial

In patients on maintenance hemodialysis several factors reduce the body stored carnitine which could lead to dyslipidemia, anemia, and general health in these patients. We evaluated the effect of oral L-carnitine supplementation on lipid profiles, anemia, and quality of life (QOL) in hemodialysis patients. In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis received either L-carnitine 1 g/d (n = 24) or placebo (27 patients) for 16 weeks. At the end of the study, there was a significant decrease in triglyceride (−31.1 ± 38.7 mg/dL, P = 0.001) and a significant increase in HDL (3.7 ± 2.8 mg/dL, P < 0.001) levels in the carnitine group. Decrease in total cholesterol (−6.6 ± 16.0 mg/dL, P = 0.075) and increase in hemoglobin (0.7 ± 1.7 g/dL, P = 0.081) concentrations in the carnitine group were not significant. There was no statistically significant changes in LDL in any group (P > 0.05). Erythropoietin dose was significantly decreased in both the carnitine (−4750 ± 5772 mg, P = 0.001) and the placebo group (−2000 ± 4296 mg, P < 0.05). No improvement was observed in QOL scores of two groups. In ESRD patients under maintenance hemodialysis, oral L-carnitine supplementation may reduce triglyceride and cholesterol and increase HDL and hemoglobin and subsequently reduce needed erythropoietin dose without effect on QOL

Metabolic evaluation in patients with nephrolithiasis: A report from Isfahan, Iran

Background: Nephrolithiasis is a major public health problem worldwide. In recent years, growing evidence suggest that this disease may originate from underlying metabolic disorders. This is the first study that reports the frequency of different metabolic abnormalities among patients with nephrolithiasis in Isfahan, a large central province of Iran. Materials and Methods: From the time period between March 2009 and August 2010, 437 nephrolithiasis patients in Isfahan province enrolled in this study. Metabolic evaluation was performed by obtaining a 24-hours urine sample and fasting venous blood draw. We analyzed urine samples for volume, creatinine, calcium, citrate, oxalate, uric acid, sodium, and cystine. Fasting blood samples were assessed for serum calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, uric acid, albumin, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. Results: The mean age was 46 ± 13.8 years (rang: 18-87). Nearly 50% were first time stone formers. The most common metabolic abnormalities were hypocitraturia (40.5%) and hypernatriuria (31.8%) that was followed by hyperoxaluria (28.8%). Hypercalciuria was detected only in 9.2% of the cases. Conclusion: Although, high calcium excretion was the most frequent metabolic derangement in several similar studies, in our province with considerably high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, it is not frequent among nephrolithiasis patients. Instead, other metabolic risk factors were in higher frequencies