ADA: Antioxidant [alpha]-Lipoic
Acid Provides Relief for Diabetic Polyneuropathy
The antioxidant [alpha]-lipoic acid administered
over 3 weeks at a dose of 600 mg/day reduces symptomatic
polyneuropathy in over 700 patients with diabetes.
"We saw significant improvements in subjects
and feel quite optimistic about the potential
therapeutic use of this agent," said Dan
Zeigler, MD, a clinical researcher at Heinrich
Heine University, in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Dr. Zeigler and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis
of research from the database of VIATRIS GmbH
& Co., a pharmaceutical company based in Frankfurt,
Germany, to determine the efficacy and safety
of [alpha]-lipoic acid in diabetic patients with
symptomatic polyneuropathy. All of the data came
from randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled,
parallel-group trials using [alpha]-lipoic acid
infusion.
Four trials (ALADINI, ALADIN III, SYDNEY, NATHAN
II) involved 716 patients treated with [alpha]-lipoic
acid and 542 treated with placebo. The researchers
analyzed the data for comparative differences
in Total Symptom Score (TSS) and in its individual
components, as well as for comparative differences
in Neuropathy Impairment Score of the lower limbs
(NIS-LL).
After 3 weeks, alpha-lipoic acid had a 24.1%
improvement over placebo (geometric mean with
95% confidence interval) for TSS and 16.0% for
NIS (both P<0.05).
Response rates were 52.7% in patients treated
with [alpha]-lipoic acid and 36.9% in those on
placebo (P<0.05).
Among individual components of the TSS, pain,
burning, and numbness decreased to a greater extent
with [alpha]-lipoic acid compared with placebo.
On the NIS-LL, alpha-lipoic acid had a better
results pinprick and touch-pressure sensation
and ankle reflex scores than placebo (all P<0.05).
The rates of adverse events did not differ between
the groups.
The investigators concluded that treatment with
[alpha]-lipoic acid is safe and, "significantly
improves both neuropathic symptoms and deficits
to a clinically meaningful degree in diabetic
patients with symptomatic polyneuropathy."
Reported at the American Diabetes Association
63rd Annual Meeting.
[Study title: Treatment of Symptomatic Diabetic
Polyneuropathy with the Antioxidant [alpha]-Lipoic
Acid: A Meta-Analysis. Abstract 850-P]
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