title: Risks and benefits of carnitine supplementation in diabetes.
abstract: L-carnitine is a very popular food supplement due to its safety profile, antioxidant-type activity and suggested effects on energy metabolism pathways. L-carnitine participates in both fatty acid transport pathways and the export of acetyl groups out of the mitochondria. However, contradictory data exist concerning the pharmacological outcomes of L-carnitine treatment in diabetes mellitus, which is a highly prevalent metabolic disease characterised by hyperglycemia and associated with severe complications, including cardiovascular disease and dyslipidemia. Recently, the L-carnitine-derived metabolites, acylcarnitines and trimethylamine-N-oxide, have been associated with increased cardio-metabolic risks. This review aims to highlight the possible risks and benefits of L-carnitine supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dambrova
authors.affiliation: Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Liepinsh
mesh_terms: D002331:Carnitine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism*; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: C116917:acylcarnitine; D002331:Carnitine