A Powerful Natural Antioxidant for Health and Beauty

Alpha Lipoic Acid Improves Symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy

Experts have graded alpha lipoic acid with the highest grade for evidence of benefit

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide suffer from diabetes, a common cause of peripheral neuropathy. The risk of developing this painful and often disabling condition increases over time, from 10% of patients in the first year of diabetes diagnosis to 50% in 25 years. The chronic high blood sugar of diabetes increases free radicals that damage cells, blood vessels, and nerves. (iii.89)

Other health factors that are linked to increased risk for diabetic peripheral neuropathy include: (iii.77)

Neuropathy Also Affects the Heart

Diabetes also causes cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in about 25% of patients. Unlike peripheral and polyneuropathy, CAN is often symptom-free in its early stages. However, if left untreated this diabetic complication can cause severe and life-threatening symptoms — including the risk of sudden death. Abnormal heart rate responses are typically one of the first indicators of the condition. Some studies show that alpha lipoic acid may be able to slow the progression of CAN. (iii.90)

What Can Help Treat Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy?

Strict control of blood sugar levels helps reduce and delay nerve damage. Even with monitoring blood sugar levels and using insulin many patients with diabetics have a hard time achieving control of the disease. Fortunately research indicates that there are some therapeutic compounds that can help maintain blood sugar control or treat the symptoms of diabetic complications such as neuropathy. (iii.8991)

So what properties do researchers look for in a compound to potentially treat diabetic neuropathy? Ideally, compounds that tackle the abnormal cell activity of both diabetes and neuropathy (such as alpha lipoic acid) while reducing symptoms could dramatically help. Other properties include: (iii.89)

Table III.7: Alpha Lipoic Acid Properties that Fight Neuropathy
Therapeutic Activities Considered Helpful for Diabetic Neuropathy Alpha Lipoic Acid Property?

Free radical (oxidative) stress. (iii.92)

YES (iii.92)

Aldose reductase.

This enzyme converts glucose to sorbitol. Excessive sorbitol disrupts nerve function and damages nerves. (iii.7787)

YES (iii.93)

Regulate calcium-channels in sensory nerves, which studies show may help relieve pain(iii.94)

YES (iii.95)

Pain(iii.95)

YES (iii.95)

High blood pressure.

Hypertension can make neuropathy worse. ACE inhibitors to treat high blood pressure may also directly slow down the progression of neuropathy. (iii.91)

YES (iii.96)

Clinical Evidence of Alpha Lipoic Acid Benefits

In 2003, researchers at the Mayo Clinic showed that patients with diabetic neuropathy who received high doses of intravenous alpha lipoic acid experienced dramatic improvement in symptoms. They also reported that alpha lipoic acid seemed to increase blood flow and oxygen to the nerves, and may actually improve the condition. These results may explain why in another clinical study, 3 weeks of alpha lipoic acid treatment (by IV) improved neuropathic symptoms and deficiencies for months. (iii.1988)

Other clinical trials showed the following:

Table III.8: Clinical Evidence of Alpha Lipoic Acid's Treatment Benefits for Diabetic Neuropathy
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Dosage

Symptomatic Diabetic Neuropathy (SYDNEY) Trial (iii.87)

Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Alpha lipoic acid (600 mg) infused intravenously for 14 treatments over a 3 week period.

Patients Type of Diabetes
  • 120 adult patients randomly assigned to one of 2 groups of 60 to take alpha lipoic acid or placebo.
  • All had symptomatic, stage 2 diabetic polyneuropathy.

Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes

Outcomes
  • Alpha lipoic acid significantly symptoms of pain, burning, prickling, or numbness.
  • Benefits reached significant level by 4th day, and steady improvement continued.
  • Although total nerve function scores didn't change significantly between the alpha lipoic acid and placebo treated groups, alpha lipoic acid did significantly improve one aspect of nerve conduction.
 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Dosage

The NATHAN 1 Trial (iii.92)

Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Alpha lipoic acid (600 mg) oral supplement daily for 4 years.

Patients Type of Diabetes
  • 460 adult patients randomly assigned to one of 2 groups to take alpha lipoic acid (233) or placebo (227).
  • All had mild to moderate diabetic polyneuropathy.

Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Outcomes
  • Alpha lipoic acid significantly symptoms of weakness, loss of reflex, and abnormal sensations.
  • Neuropathy progression, compared to those who took placebo.
  • Total nerve function scores didn't change significantly between the alpha lipoic acid and placebo treated groups. Neither group experienced substantial deterioration in nerve function. However, alpha lipoic acid significantly improved small fiber and muscle function. Small fiber refers to nerve endings that have a small diameter. Damage to these nerve endings is frequently associated with pain. (iii.91)

 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Dosage

The SYDNEY 2 Trial (iii.97)

Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted in 5 different medical centers (total) in Russia and Israel.

600, 1200, or 1800 mg/day of oral alpha lipoic acid supplements for 5 weeks.

Patients Type of Diabetes
  • 181 adult patients randomly assigned to take one of 3 different doses of alpha lipoic acid or placebo.
  • All had chronic, symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy.

Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Outcomes
  • Alpha lipoic acid significantly symptoms of pain, burning, prickling, or numbness.
  • Benefits reached significant level by 4th day, and steady improvement continued.
  • Although total nerve function scores didn't change significantly between the alpha lipoic acid and placebo treated groups, alpha lipoic acid did significantly improve one aspect of nerve conduction.
 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Dosage

Alpha-Lipoic Acid in Diabetic Neuropathy (ALADIN) Study (iii.90)

Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Alpha lipoic acid (1200, 600, or 100 mg) infused intravenously daily for 19 days over a 3 week period.

Patients Type of Diabetes
  • 328 adult patients randomly assigned to one of 4 groups (63-66 patients each) given varying doses of alpha lipoic acid or placebo.
  • All had symptomatic, stage 2 diabetic polyneuropathy.

Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes

Outcomes
  • 1200 mg/day of alpha lipoic acid reduced symptoms of pain, burning, prickling, or numbness by at least 30% in almost 71% of the patients.
  • The 600 mg/day dose of alpha lipoic acid was actually more effective, reducing symptoms in over 82% of patients. Both alpha lipoic acid doses worked significantly better than placebo.
  • 100 mg/day of alpha lipoic acid did not perform significantly better than placebo.
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Dosage

5-Year Retrospective Real-World Observation Study (iii.98)

600 mg/day oral alpha lipoic acid supplement for years followed by gabapentin or nothing.

Patients

443 patients with chronic diabetic neuropathy.

Outcomes
  • 443 patients previously treated for an average of 5 years with oral doses of alpha lipoic acid were switched to either gabapentin (600-2400 mg/day) or no treatment.
  • 73% of untreated patients re-developed painful neuropathic symptoms within as little as 2 weeks after stopping alpha lipoic acid.
  • 45% of those taking gabapentin stopped taking it because of side effects (e.g., dizziness, sleepiness, falling).
  • 55% failed to respond to gabapentin; most of the patients who didn't respond were those who were being treated for symptoms of numbness and tingling (not pain).
 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Dosage

Open Clinical Study (iii.99)

600 mg alpha lipoic acid intravenously for 10 days followed by 600 mg/day of oral alpha lipoic acid supplement for up to 60 days.

Patients
  • 23 adult patients with diabetes and diabetic neuropathy of cranial nerves (including those affecting the eyes and vision).
  • 17 of the patients also had peripheral neuropathy.
  • 2 of the 24 patients had cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy.
Outcomes

  • All cases of cranial neuropathy were fully resolved by the end of the treatment, with significant improvement by the 10th day.
  • Alpha lipoic acid significantly reduced symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.
  • Patients with autonomic neuropathy also showed improvement on various tests measuring cardiac function after treatment.
Research conducted in hundreds of patients with diabetic neuropathy showed that alpha lipoic acid supplements worked better than gabapentin, a conventional drug prescribed for the condition

Alpha Lipoic Acid Works Better than Some Prescription Drugs

Research conducted in hundreds of patients with diabetic neuropathy showed that alpha lipoic acid supplements worked better than gabapentin, a conventional drug prescribed for the condition. It also had no intolerable side effects, was less expensive to use, and required less follow-up visits to the doctor. (iii.76)

Although gabapentin may help people in chronic pain from neuropathy sleep better, it also causes weight gain over long term use. Obesity and diabetes are intimately linked, inflammatory metabolic diseases. This could be a serious complication for diabetics. Conversely, clinical studies suggest that alpha lipoic acid can help people struggling with extra pounds and even obesity lose weight. (iii.94100)

Used in Germany for over 50 years to treat conditions related to diabetes, scientific evidence suggests that alpha lipoic acid could help treat diabetes by helping cells better metabolize glucose. Many more studies are now being conducted in the U.S. and around the world to determine the role of alpha lipoic acid in diabetes and insulin sensitivity(iii.219)

Recommended Dosage for Diabetic Neuropathy

Experts suggest that taking 200 mg of alpha lipoic acid 4 times a day for 4-7 months can repair and restore nerve function and help resolve peripheral and cardiac autonomic neuropathy. In Germany, where alpha lipoic acid injections are prescribed, symptom relief begins in as little as 8 days. Noticeable symptom relief with oral supplements may take longer (up to 3 weeks). (iii.1976)

Also known as hypertension.
Distal latency of the sural nerve. (iii.87)
45 of 181 patients. (iii.97)
47 of 181 patients. (iii.97)
46 of 181 patients. (iii.97)
43 of 181 patients. (iii.97)
Distal latency of the sural nerve. (iii.87)
260 patients finished the study; 51 were withdrawn because of failure to follow procedure but did not make a significant difference in results. (iii.90)
Disclaimer: This website is not intended to replace professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed physician. If you require any medical related advice, contact your physician promptly. Information presented on this website is exclusively of a general reference nature. Do not disregard medical advice or delay treatment as a result of accessing information at this site.