Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes and L-Carnitine
A recent study sought to evaluate the effects of adding L-carnitine to the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The study included 254 patients with uncontrolled (HbA1c > 8%) type 2 diabetes. The patients were randomized to receive either 10 mg sibutramine plus 2 g L-carnitine or 10 mg sibutramine alone. Researchers measured several markers which included body weight, BMI HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, post-prandial plasma glucose and cholesterol levels in each of the participants at baseline, and after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. At the conclusion of the trial, researchers found that both groups had significant decreases in body weight, BMI and HbA1c. It was also discovered that the addition of L-carnitine to sibutramine gave faster improvements of cholesterol levels, insulin resistance profiles, glycemic control and body weight than treatment with just sibutramine alone. These results suggest that sibutramine is an effective treatment option, but the addition of L-carnitine can help accelerate the beneficial results in adults with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.
