Acetyl‐L‐carnitine for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy | Figure 1

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Acetyl‐L‐carnitine for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy

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Cochrane Review; four trials (906 adults with diabetes); three studies compared acetyl‐L‐carnitine (ALC) with a placebo, and one compared ALC with methylcobalamin (a form of vitamin B12).

Damage to nerve fibres as a result of diabetes is called diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). DPN is a frequent, severe complication, affecting about 50% of people with long‐term diabetes. Feet, legs, and hands are primarily affected by DPN.

Main results

Certainty of the evidence from the studies ranged from low to very low, meaning we cannot be confident in the findings. Results were not always completely or clearly reported, the studies had serious limitations, and the results lacked precision.

In people with nerve damage due to diabetes, it is uncertain whether ALC reduces pain after 12 months of therapy, compared to placebo. The trials provided little or no information on the effects of ALC on functional impairment, sensory testing, and symptoms. Even when trials provided data, quality of evidence was too low to draw reliable conclusions.

Harmful side effects may be no more frequent with ALC than with placebo. The evidence on adverse events from the trial comparing ALC with methylcobalamin was very uncertain.

Two of the four studies were funded by a manufacturer of ALC and the other two studies had at least one co‐author who was a consultant for an ALC manufacturer.

Read the full Cochrane Review here

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