Evidence of Alpha Lipoic Acid's Antidiabetic Effectiveness in Clinical Studies

Table IV.9: Clinical Evidence of Alpha Lipoic Acid's Effects in Diabetic Patients
Study Details	Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage
Open clinical study involving: ^(iv.78) 35 adults. 40% male and 60% female. 24% with diabetes for 5-10 years.	600 mg of alpha lipoic acid twice a day for 3 months. ^(iv.78)
Outcomes
Comparing results of blood tests before and after treatment showed that alpha lipoic acid: ^(iv.78) Boosted levels of natural antioxidants. Reduced levels of free radicals. Lowered blood glucose levels, including Hb values (which measure average daily levels).

Study Details	Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage
Open clinical study involving: ^(iv.79) 20 non-diabetic adults, 20 type 2 diabetic adults. In each group, 10 lean and 10 subjects with BMI > 25.	600 mg of alpha lipoic acid twice a day for 4 weeks. ^(iv.79)
Outcomes
Alpha lipoic acid: ^(iv.79) Lowered fasting blood glucose levels in lean diabetics. Increased insulin sensitivity in lean diabetics. Improved effectiveness of glucose metabolism in both obese and lean diabetics.

Study Details	Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving: ^(iv.50) 360 overweight/obese patients. Other conditions in subgroups of these patients included diabetes, hypertension, and/or high cholesterol.	1800 mg/day oral alpha lipoic acid in 400-600 mg doses 30 minutes before meals for 20 weeks. ^(iv.50)
Outcomes
Alpha lipoic acid decreased the marker for average blood glucose levels in subjects who were also diabetic. ^(iv.50)

Study Details	Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving: ^(iv.53) 38 patients. All with type-2 diabetes.	300, 600, 900, or 1200 mg/day oral alpha lipoic acid broken out into 3 equal doses 30 minutes before meals for 6 months (along with patients' regular diabetes medication). ^(iv.53)
Outcomes
Alpha lipoic acid: ^(iv.53) Reduced fasting blood glucose levels, with a greater reduction the higher the alpha lipoic acid dosage. Decreased marker for average blood sugar levels on average as a group (also dose dependent). Although the researchers noted that the results did not reach statistical significance, they indicated this was likely due to the small number of study participants. The only adverse effects possibly related to alpha lipoic acid reported were 1 patient who dropped out of the study due to weight loss and 2 who reported skin rash. ^(iv.53)

Study Details	Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage
Open clinical study involving: ^(iv.54) 6 non-diabetic adult females with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Patients were not overweight.	600 mg of alpha lipoic acid twice a day for 16 weeks. ^(iv.54)
Outcomes
Alpha lipoic acid increased insulin sensitivity in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. ^(iv.54)

Study Details	Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage
Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving: ^(iv.47) 104 adults. All with type 2 diabetes.	300 mg/day oral alpha lipoic acid supplement (along with regular, non-insulin diabetes medication) for 90 days. ^(iv.47)
Outcomes
Alpha lipoic acid: ^(iv.47) Reduced levels of marker for average blood glucose levels by 13.3% on average as a group. Increased insulin sensitivity. Alpha lipoic acid also reduced average fasting blood sugar levels by almost 3%, but it did not reach statistical significance. ^(iv.47)

Study Details	Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage
Pilot clinical study involving: ^(iv.57) 9 normal-weight, non-elderly, non-smoking adult patients. All had type-1 diabetes.	600 mg slow-release alpha lipoic acid in combination with 300 mg benfotiamine twice daily for 28 days. ^(iv.57)
Outcomes
Alpha lipoic acid: ^(iv.57) Inhibited formation of AGEs. Treatment with alpha lipoic acid and benfotiamine reversed abnormal levels of proteins and enzymes involved in forming AGEs, which can lead to diabetic retinopathy and kidney damage. ^(iv.57)

A study where neither the researcher nor the subject/patient knows who is receiving the placebo and who is receiving the tested substance. ^(iv.33)

Hemoglobin-A1c. ^(iv.50)

A drug given to counteract damage to cells from high blood sugar levels. ^(iv.57)

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