title: Body composition and long-term levo-carnitine supplementation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of long-term levocarnitine supplementation on nutritional state of patients in maintenance dialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied by multifrequency-BIA (bioelectric impedance analysis) two groups of patients in maintenance bicarbonate hemodialysis for at least 4 years, comparable with respect to gender and age, and without liver disease, diabetes and malignancy. One group (25 patients) was treated with levocarnitine (1g/die) for three years or more; the control group (35 patients) never received this agent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Long-term levocarnitine supplementation was associated with higher serum levels of total protein and albumin in comparison to the control group. These effects were not associated with an increase in body fat mass and/or in total body water content, which are potentially detrimental conditions, especially considering the reported frequent association with circulatory and blood pressure alterations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Levocarnitine is able to improve the nutritional state, and this is associated with higher protein catabolism rate, i.e. with a higher protein intake, without detrimental effects on dialysis efficacy and adequacy.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Interna e Terapia Medica, University of Catania, Italy. unictmedintgmt@ctonline.it
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Trovato
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iannetti
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Murgo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carpinteri
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catalano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000187:drug effects; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine