Effects of L-carnitine supplementation on cardiac morbidity in hemodialyzed patients

Cardiac diseases are well known among patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD), and carnitine deficiency may be an important factor in cardiac morbid ity. We studied the effects of low-dose L-carnitine treatment (500 mg/day) on chest symptoms (dyspnea on exertion, chest pain, palpitation), cardiac f unction, and left ventricular (LV) mass in 9 HD patients with reduced eject ion fraction (EF). After 6 months of L-carnitine treatment, most patients h ad at least some improvement in chest symptoms, while LVEF was increased an d LV mass was decreased. Carnitine fractions increased and reached plateaus at 2-3 times the baseline levels. These results suggest that prolonged low -dose L-carnitine treatment can improve the cardiac morbidity by restoring decreased carnitine tissue levels and impaired oxidation of FFA, Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.