Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on blood glucose, insulin resistance and glutathione peroxidase of type 2 diabetic patients

To examine the effects of alpha-lipoic acid [ALA] treatment over a period of 2 months on fasting blood glucose [FBG], insulin resistance [IR], and glutathione peroxidase [GH-Px] activity in type 2 diabetes [T2DM] patients. This study took place in Motahari Clinic, Shiraz, Iran, which is affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences from May to October 2006. Type 2 DM patients [n=57] were divided into 2 groups to receive either ALA [300 mg daily] or placebo by systematic randomization, and were followed-up for 8 weeks. After an overnight fasting and 2 hours after breakfast, patients' blood samples were drawn and tested for FBG, 2 hours PPG, serum insulin level, and GH-Px activity. The result of the study showed a significant decrease in FBG and PPG levels, IR-Homeostasis Model Assessment [IR-HOMA index] and GH-Px level in the ALA group. The comparison of differences between FBG and IR at the beginning and at the end of study in the ALA treated group and the placebo group were also significant. This study supports the use of ALA as an antioxidant in the care of diabetic patients

[ Antioxidative effect of alpha-lipoic acid on blood glucose concentration and HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients]

There is growing evidence that excess generation of highly reactive free radicals, largely due to hyperglycemia, causes oxidative stress, which followed by further exacerbating the development and progression of diabetes and its complications. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of alpha-lipoic acid [ALA] on blood glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients. In this clinical trial study, fifty-seven type 2 diabetic patients [14 male and 43 female] with the mean age of 53.5 years old were involved in this study. Upon arrival, subjects were randomly divided into either experimental [n=29] or control [n=28] groups. Experimental group received 300 mg alpha-lipoic acid daily for eight weeks where control group received placebo for eight weeks. After an overnight fast patients' blood samples, were drawn and analyzed for fasting blood glucose, 2 hours post-prandial glucose and HbA1c. In addition, antropometric indeces for each subject was measured at the beginning and at the end of the study. There is no significant differences regarding weight and BMI in two groups before and after intervention. Also our findings indicated significant decrease in fasting and post-prandial glucose level, in experimental group, after intervention [p<0.05], but no significant change was seen in HbA1c level. There were no significant changes in parameters measured in control group. There was also a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose in experimental group when compared to control group [p<0.05], but there is no significant changes in HbA1c level. This study showed that alpha-lipoic acid supplement as an important antioxidant reduce blood glucose concentration in type 2 diabetes