TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of L-carnitine on plasma lipoprotein(a) concentrations
T2 - A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
AU - Serban, Maria Corina
AU - Sahebkar, Amirhossein
AU - Mikhailidis, Dimitri P.
AU - Toth, Peter P.
AU - Jones, Steven R.
AU - Muntner, Paul
AU - Blaha, Michael J.
AU - Andrica, Florina
AU - Martin, Seth S.
AU - Borza, Claudia
AU - Lip, Gregory Y.H.
AU - Ray, Kausik K.
AU - Rysz, Jacek
AU - Hazen, Stanley L.
AU - Banach, Maciej
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: This meta-analysis was written independently; no company or institution supported it financially. SLH reports support by grants from the National Institutes of Health and Office of Dietary Supplements (P20HL113452 and R01HL103866). No professional writer was involved in the preparation of this meta-analysis.
PY - 2016/1/12
Y1 - 2016/1/12
N2 - We aimed to assess the impact of L-carnitine on plasma Lp(a) concentrations through systematic review and meta-analysis of available RCTs. The literature search included selected databases up to 31 st January 2015. Meta-analysis was performed using fixed-effects or random-effect model according to I2 statistic. Effect sizes were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The meta-analysis showed a significant reduction of Lp(a) levels following L-carnitine supplementation (WMD: -8.82 mg/dL, 95% CI: -10.09, -7.55, p < 0.001). When the studies were categorized according to the route of administration, a significant reduction in plasma Lp(a) concentration was observed with oral (WMD: -9.00 mg/dL, 95% CI: -10.29, -7.72, p < 0.001) but not intravenous L-carnitine (WMD: -2.91 mg/dL, 95% CI: -10.22, 4.41, p = 0.436). The results of the meta-regression analysis showed that the pooled estimate is independent of L-carnitine dose (slope: -0.30; 95% CI: -4.19, 3.59; p = 0.878) and duration of therapy (slope: 0.18; 95% CI: -0.22, 0.59; p = 0.374). In conclusion, the meta-analysis suggests a significant Lp(a) lowering by oral L-carnitine supplementation. Taking into account the limited number of available Lp(a)-targeted drugs, L-carnitine might be an effective alternative to effectively reduce Lp(a). Prospective outcome trials will be required to fully elucidate the clinical value and safety of oral L-carnitine supplementation.
AB - We aimed to assess the impact of L-carnitine on plasma Lp(a) concentrations through systematic review and meta-analysis of available RCTs. The literature search included selected databases up to 31 st January 2015. Meta-analysis was performed using fixed-effects or random-effect model according to I2 statistic. Effect sizes were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The meta-analysis showed a significant reduction of Lp(a) levels following L-carnitine supplementation (WMD: -8.82 mg/dL, 95% CI: -10.09, -7.55, p < 0.001). When the studies were categorized according to the route of administration, a significant reduction in plasma Lp(a) concentration was observed with oral (WMD: -9.00 mg/dL, 95% CI: -10.29, -7.72, p < 0.001) but not intravenous L-carnitine (WMD: -2.91 mg/dL, 95% CI: -10.22, 4.41, p = 0.436). The results of the meta-regression analysis showed that the pooled estimate is independent of L-carnitine dose (slope: -0.30; 95% CI: -4.19, 3.59; p = 0.878) and duration of therapy (slope: 0.18; 95% CI: -0.22, 0.59; p = 0.374). In conclusion, the meta-analysis suggests a significant Lp(a) lowering by oral L-carnitine supplementation. Taking into account the limited number of available Lp(a)-targeted drugs, L-carnitine might be an effective alternative to effectively reduce Lp(a). Prospective outcome trials will be required to fully elucidate the clinical value and safety of oral L-carnitine supplementation.
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U2 - 10.1038/srep19188
DO - 10.1038/srep19188
M3 - Article
C2 - 26754058
AN - SCOPUS:84954432997
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 6
JO - Scientific reports
JF - Scientific reports
M1 - 19188
ER -