Science Corner

Effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid on Hemodialysis Patients

In this study, the authors examined the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation on inflammation, oxidative stress, and serum lipid profile levels in hemodialysis (HD) patients in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Participants included 63 patients with end-stage renal disease (43 men and 20 women; age range: 22-79 years) undergoing maintenance HD. Patients were randomly assigned into the supplemented group (n = 31), receiving a daily dose of ALA (600 mg), or a control group (n = 32), receiving placebo for 8 weeks. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), malondialdehyde, total antioxidant status, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured at baseline and after 8 weeks of supplementation. HsCRP levels decreased by 18.7% in the supplemented group after 8 weeks of supplementation; this reduction was significant in comparison with the placebo group. Total antioxidant status levels did not change significantly in either of the groups during the study. The results of this study suggest that ALA supplementation may significantly reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease in HD patients.

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