Should L-carnitine be taken to treat angina pectoris?
Dr. Gayle Nicholas Scott at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, reviewed the evidence on Medscape .
Here’s what we know.
- Levocarnitine or L-carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid.
- It’s absorbed from dietary sources including red meat.
- Heart muscle normally contains high levels of L-carnitine, but levels are lower in ischemia, leading to impaired electrical and contractile activities of the heart.
- The results from 2 studies of poor design conducted more than 10 years ago were positive for L-carnitine.
- Since then, interest in its use for angina pectoris dwindled.
The bottom line?
The author concluded that L-carnitine “remains an unproven approach to the treatment of angina.”
11/16/10 19:55 JR