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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Med.
Sec. Nephrology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1454921
This article is part of the Research Topic Dyslipidemia, Prevention in the Era of Personalized Medicine? View all 3 articles

Effects of L-Carnitine Supplementation on Lipid Profile in Adult Patients under Hemodialysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs

Provisionally accepted
Mehdi Karimi Mehdi Karimi 1*Samira Pirzad Samira Pirzad 2Seyed Morteza Pourfaraji Seyed Morteza Pourfaraji 3Peyvand Parhizkar Roudsari Peyvand Parhizkar Roudsari 3Niyousha Shirsalimi Niyousha Shirsalimi 4Sajad Ahmadizad Sajad Ahmadizad 5*
  • 1 Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
  • 2 Faculty of Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Tehran, Iran
  • 3 Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • 4 Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Hamadan, Iran
  • 5 Department of Sport Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Alborz, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 10% of the global population and leads to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Hemodialysis is a common treatment for ESRD, but patients often have low carnitine levels, leading to dyslipidemia, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and the leading cause of mortality. This study aimed to assess the effects of L-carnitine on lipid profiles in adult hemodialysis patients. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across the online databases from inception to June 2024 to identify randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of L-carnitine on lipid profiles in hemodialysis patients. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed, focusing on primary outcomes, including changes in triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and secondary outcomes including blood pressure (BP) and body mass index (BMI). Results: A total of 28 RCTs were eligible for the current systematic review, including 1340 hemodialysis patients (671 intervention, 669 control). There were no significant differences in the mean change of TG (SMD: -0.006; 95% CI, -0.272 to 0.259; P = 0.95), TC (SMD: -0.086; 95% CI, -0.253 to -0.079; P = 0.29), HDL (SMD: 0.060; 95% CI, -0.057 to 0.177; P = 0.29), LDL (SMD: -0.075; 95% CI, -0.274 to 0.123; P = 0.43), VLDL (SMD: -0.064; 95% CI, -0.272 to 0.142; P = 0.51), BMI (SMD: -0.025; 95% CI, -0.139 to 0.088; P = 0.56), systolic BP (SMD: 0.055; 95% CI, -0.110 to 0.220; P = 0.43), and diastolic BP (SMD: -0.028; 95% CI, 0.156 to 0.099; P = 0.56). The same insignificant findings were observed after conducting a subgroup analysis based on the route of administration (intravenous vs. Oral). Conclusion: L-carnitine supplementation does not significantly change and improve the serum lipid profile, including TG, TC, HDL, LDL, and VLDL levels. Additionally, it has no notable effects on BMI, systolic, or diastolic BP.

    Keywords: L-Carnitine, Carnitine, Serum lipid, hemodialysis, Chronic Kidney Disease, Nephrology, Meta-analysis

    Received: 26 Jun 2024; Accepted: 20 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Karimi, Pirzad, Pourfaraji, Parhizkar Roudsari, Shirsalimi and Ahmadizad. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Mehdi Karimi, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
    Sajad Ahmadizad, Department of Sport Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, 1983969411, Alborz, Iran

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