L-carnitine adjuvant therapy in essential hypertension

This study was undertaken to demonstrate L-carnitine therapeutical effect in patients with essential hypertension. Two groups were tested, A and B. First group (A) was split in two subgroups, A1 and A2. Subgroup A1 included 14 patients with essential hypertension, they were treated with antihypertensive drugs and L-carnitine. Subgroup A2 included 14 patients with essential hypertension, that were treated with antihypertensive drugs only. Group B included 9 patients with essential hypertension and they were treated with L-carnitine only. Subgroup A1 patients were treated with oral L-carnitine 2 gm per day for 22 weeks; group B patients were treated with the same dose for 10 weeks. The asthenia symptom was evaluated, a resting and dynamic E.C.G. was carried out, serum triglycerides, serum total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, serum sodium and potassium, serum creatinine, serum glucose and blood pressure were determined before and at the end of test in group A patients. Test procedure of group B patients included also serum evaluation of apolipoproteins A1 and B and radionuclide angiocardiography. In subgroup A1 patients extrasystoles as well as some electrocardiographic signs of minor changes of ventricular repolarization reversed or diminished, the asthenia symptom was improved significantly and triglyceride values decreased from 148 +/- 15.8 mg/dl to 121 +/- 14.3 mg/dl (p < 0.025).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)