Muscle weakness, muscle mass loss, and hyperlipidemia are common complaints in dialysis patients. We prospectively evaluated the effects of oral L-carnitine supplementation on the nutritional status, anthropometrics, muscle strength, and lipid profiles in patients receiving chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD). This was a interventional and follow-up study. Forty-four CPD patients from National Cheng Kung University Hospital were enrolled. Nineteen patients (group A were treated with 600 mg/day L-carnitine orally (one table qid), and 26 patients (group B) who did not receive L-carnitine served as the control group. The duration of the study was 6 months. We evaluated anthropometrics, muscle strength, and serum albumin and lipid profiles at the start, in the third month, and at the end of the study. After treatment with L-carnitine, there were no significant changes in any parameters in the third month and at the end of study for patients in group A. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the same month. L-Carnitine treatment increased the triceps skin-fold (TSF) thickness only in lower-TSF patients in group A. We found that treatment with 600 mg/day L-carnitine orally did not improve the nutritional status of CPD patients. This may have been a consequence of the relatively small dosage via the oral route and short duration of treatment. However, a low dosage of L-carnitine might be beneficial in improving the TSF thickness in CPD patients with a low TSF.
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