title: Orlistat and L-carnitine compared to orlistat alone on insulin resistance in obese diabetic patients.
abstract: Our study wants to evaluate the effects of one year treatment with orlistat plus L-carnitine compared to orlistat alone on body weight, glycemic and lipid control, and insulin resistance state in type 2 diabetic patients. Two hundred and fifty-eight patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) [glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) > 8.0%] in therapy with different oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin were enrolled in this study and randomised to take orlistat 120 mg three times a day plus L-carnitine 2 g one time a day or orlistat 120 mg three times a day. We evaluated at baseline, and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months these parameters: body weight, body mass index (BMI), HbA(1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post-prandial plasma glucose (PPG), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (Tg), retinol binding protein-4 (RBP-4), resistin, visfatin, high sensitivity-C reactive protein (Hs-CRP). We observed a faster, and better decrease of body weight, HbA(1c), FPG, PPG, LDL-C, HOMA-IR with orlistat plus L-carnitine compared to orlistat. A faster improvement of TC, Tg, FPI, resistin, RBP-4, visfatin, and Hs-CRP was reached with orlistat plus L-carnitine compared to orlistat. We can safely conclude that the association of orlistat plus L-carnitine was better than orlistat in improving body weight, glycemic and lipid profile, insulin resistance, and inflammatory parameters and no significant adverse events were recorded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. giuseppe.derosa@unipv.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Derosa
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maffioli
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fogari
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Randazzo
authors.forename: Arrigo F G
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cicero
mesh_terms: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002331:Carnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007783:Lactones / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism; D000077403:Orlistat
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007783:Lactones; D000077403:Orlistat; D002331:Carnitine