INDICES> rac-alpha-lipoic acid

["Randy Trinkle" <rtrinkle@rosencrantz.citytel.net>]

The following has reference to the query:

Diabetes 1997 Sep;46 Suppl 2:S62-6 

Alpha-lipoic acid in the treatment of diabetic peripheral and cardiac
autonomic neuropathy.

Ziegler D, Gries FA

Diabetes Research Institute at the Heinrich Heine University,
Dusseldorf, Germany. 

Antioxidant treatment has been shown to prevent nerve dysfunction in
experimental diabetes, providing a rationale for a potential
therapeutic value in diabetic patients. The effects of the antioxidant
alpha-lipoic acid (thioctic acid) were studied in two multicenter,
randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trials. In the
Alpha-Lipoic Acid in Diabetic Neuropathy Study, 328 patients with
NIDDM and symptomatic peripheral neuropathy were randomly assigned to
treatment with intravenous infusion of alpha-lipoic acid using three
doses (ALA 1,200 mg; 600 mg; 100 mg) or placebo (PLAC) over 3 weeks.
The total symptom score (TSS) (pain, burning, paresthesia, and
numbness) in the feet decreased significantly from baseline to day 19
in ALA 1,200 and ALA 600 vs. PLAC. Each of the four individual symptom
scores was significantly lower in ALA 600 than in PLAC after 19 days
(all P < 0.05). The total scale of the Hamburg Pain Adjective List
(HPAL) was significantly reduced in ALA 1,200 and ALA 600 compared
with PLAC after 19 days (both P < 0.05). In the Deutsche Kardiale
Autonome Neuropathie Studie, patients with NIDDM and cardiac autonomic
neuropathy diagnosed by reduced heart rate variability were randomly
assigned to treatment with a daily oral dose of 800 mg alpha-lipoic
acid (ALA) (n = 39) or placebo (n = 34) for 4 months. Two out of four
parameters of heart rate variability at rest were significantly
improved in ALA compared with placebo. A trend toward a favorable
effect of ALA was noted for the remaining two indexes. In both
studies, no significant adverse events were observed. In conclusion,
intravenous treatment with alpha-lipoic acid (600 mg/day) over 3 weeks
is safe and effective in reducing symptoms of diabetic peripheral
neuropathy, and oral treatment with 800 mg/day for 4 months may
improve cardiac autonomic dysfunction in NIDDM. 

***************************************
Randy Trinkle, BScPharm, BA
Pharmacy Department
Prince Rupert Regional Hospital
mailto:rtrinkle@mail.citytel.net
Health Science links:
http://www.rupert.net/~rtrinkle
***************************************

--
Send mail for the `INDICES' conference to `indices@usa.healthnet.org'.
Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'.
For additional assistance, send mail to:  `owner-indices@usa.healthnet.org'.