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Abstract

Background and Objective Protein-energy malnutrition and carnitine deficiency are common in hemodialysis patients. Carnitine supplementation may improve the general health and quality of hemodialysis patients lives. The aim of study was to determine the effects of L-carnitine supplementation on the visceral protein status, malnutrition status and blood lipid profile in hemodialysis patients. Materials and Methods This study was a randomized clinical controlled trial by participating of 42 Hemodialysis patients. Participants were randomly divided into 2 groups, the carnitine group CAG consumed oral syrup of L-carnitine containing 1000 mg of carnitine per day for 12 weeks but the control group COG did not use any carnitine. Serum levels of albumin, pre-albumin, transferrin, total lymphocyte count TLC, C-reactive protein CRP, homocysteine and lipid profiles were measured from the baseline and at the end of the study. The malnutrition-inflammation score MIS was used to assess the nutritional status of patients. Results The variations and mean concentration of all variables except LDLc were not statistically significant. The mean difference of LDLc concentration in CAG and COG were -4.338.3 and 26.755.4 mg dL1501, respectively p 0.05. Based on the MIS, 52.9 of patients in CAG and 36 of COG had moderate degree of malnutrition at the baseline. Conclusion A daily supplementation of 1000 mg of L-carnitine for three months did not affect the improvement of serum albumin, pre-albumin, transferrin, TLC, CRP, homocysteine, triglyceride, total cholesterol and BMI of hemodialysis patient but it may prevent lipid disorders and cardiovascular disease in these patients by reducing serum LDLc.