L-Carnitine Significantly Improves Patient Outcomes Following Heart Attack
Results of Systematic Review of 13 Controlled Studies Reported in
Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Rochester, MN, April 12, 2013 – L-carnitine significantly improves cardiac health in patients after a heart
attack, say a multicenter team of investigators in a study published today in
Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Their findings, based on analysis of key controlled trials, associate L-carnitine with significant reduction in
death from all causes and a highly significant reduction in ventricular arrhythmias and anginal attacks
following a heart attack, compared with placebo or control.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Although many of the therapies
developed in recent decades have markedly improved life expectancy, adverse cardiovascular events
such as ventricular arrhythmias and angina attacks still occur frequently after an acute myocardial
infarction (heart attack).
It is known that during ischemic events L-carnitine levels are depleted. Investigators sought to determine
the effects of targeting cardiac metabolic pathways using L-carnitine to improve free fatty acid levels and
glucose oxidation in these patients. By performing a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available
studies published over several decades, they looked at the role of L-carnitine compared with placebo or
control in patients experiencing an acute myocardial infarction.
L-carnitine is a trimethylamine which occurs in high amounts in red meat and is found in certain other
foods, and is also widely available as an over-the-counter nutritional supplement which is claimed to
improve energy, weight loss, and athletic performance. Its potential role in treating heart disease was first
reported in the late 1970s.
A comprehensive literature search yielded 153 studies, 13, published from 1989-2007, were deemed
eligible. All the trials were comparison trials of L-carnitine compared with placebo or control in the setting
of acute myocardial infarction.
www.bodybynature.co.uk
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