Journal article
Effect of L-carnitine on the physical fitness of thalassemic patients
Annals of hematology, Vol.86(1), pp.31-34
01/2007
DOI: 10.1007/s00277-006-0181-6
PMID: 17031691
Abstract
Poor physical fitness is a common problem among thalassemic patients. l-Carnitine plays an essential role in fatty acid β-oxidation, a process especially important in the organs that preferentially use fatty acid as a source of energy such as the myocardium and the skeletal muscles. The main objective of this study is to assess the effect of the administration of oral l-carnitine on exercise tolerance and physical fitness in patients with thalassemia major. Thirty patients followed up at the New Cairo University Children Hospital were included in this study. Clinical, laboratory, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing were performed before and after 6 months of oral l-carnitine therapy (50 mg/kg/day). The oxygen consumption, cardiac output, and oxygen pulse at maximal exercise significantly increased after l-carnitine therapy (p<0.001, p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). However, there was no significant change in minute ventilation and ventilatory equivalent of carbon dioxide (p=0.07 and p=0.06, respectively). A weak but positive correlation between the age of the patients and the degree of improvement in exercise parameters was noted. There was also significant increase in the blood transfusion intervals after l-carnitine administration (p=0.008). However, there was no significant change in hemoglobin concentration (p=0.4). l-Carnitine seems to be a safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic approach in thalassemic patients. It improves their cardiac performance and physical fitness. The younger the patients are, the higher is the degree of improvement in their exercise parameters.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Effect of L-carnitine on the physical fitness of thalassemic patients
- Creators
- Amal El-Beshlawy - 32, Falaky Street, Bab El-Louk Cairo EgyptRamzi El Accaoui - Department of Internal Medicine American University of Beirut Medical Center Beirut LebanonMansour Abd El-Sattar - Department of Pediatrics Al-Azhar University Cairo EgyptMohamed Gamal El-Deen - Department of Physiology Cairo University Cairo EgyptIlham Youssry - Department of Pediatrics New Children Hospital, Cairo University Cairo EgyptNaglaa Shaheen - Department of Pediatrics New Children Hospital, Cairo University Cairo EgyptMona Hamdy - Department of Pediatrics New Children Hospital, Cairo University Cairo EgyptMona El-Ghamrawy - Department of Pediatrics New Children Hospital, Cairo University Cairo EgyptAli Taher - Department of Internal Medicine American University of Beirut Medical Center Beirut Lebanon
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Annals of hematology, Vol.86(1), pp.31-34
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00277-006-0181-6
- PMID
- 17031691
- ISSN
- 0939-5555
- eISSN
- 1432-0584
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/2007
- Academic Unit
- Radiology; Cardiovascular Medicine; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984094540302771
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