Effects of l‐carnitine on frailty status in patients with liver cirrhosis: A randomized‐controlled trial

Abstract

Background and AimsFrailty is a common complication in patients with liver cirrhosis, which is linked with augmented rates of morbidity and mortality. In this regard, timely nutritional assessment and intervention have gained scientific attention. L‐carnitine may be a promising candidate with its potential to enhance energy metabolism, reduce inflammation, and act as an antioxidant. Therefore, we aimed to assess the impact of l‐carnitine supplementation on frailty status and liver function in adults with liver cirrhosis.MethodsThis double‐blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial study enrolled 77 patients with liver cirrhosis. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups: the control group (n = 42) and the l‐carnitine group (n = 35). The l‐carnitine group received 500 mg of l‐carnitine orally three times a day for 8 weeks, while the control group did not receive any intervention.ResultsL‐carnitine administration resulted in a significant decrease in alanine transaminase levels (p: 0.043) and partial thromboplastin time (p: 0.036). Furthermore, compared to the control group, l‐carnitine treatment led to improvements in prothrombin time (p: 0.008) and international normalized ratio (p: 0.024). However, no significant improvement in the Liver Frailty Index, Freid Frailty Index, and Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (p > 0.05) was observed in the carnitine group after the 8‐week intervention period.ConclusionIn conclusion, the administration of l‐carnitine exhibited hepatoprotective properties and was correlated with lowered alanine transaminase levels with improvement in coagulation status in liver cirrhosis patients. Nevertheless, our study indicated that the short‐term use of l‐carnitine might not significantly improve frailty in these patients.