A Powerful Natural Antioxidant for Health and Beauty

The Sugar Connection: Alpha Lipoic Acid Can Help Reduce the Higher Risk of Heart Disease in Diabetics

Antioxidants like alpha lipoic acid reduce risk of heart disease in diabetics.

Clinical studies suggest alpha lipoic acid could help reduce the high risk of health complications from diabetes. 65% of complications from diabetes are heart related and are so serious that a third of diabetics on insulin die from them by age 50. Cardiomyopathy is considered one of the most dangerous of diabetic complications. Fortunately alpha lipoic acid may improve the health and functioning of blood vessels — especially in patients with poor blood sugar control. (iv.5886)

What causes the increased risk of heart disease in diabetics?

Diabetes and insulin resistance promote many of the risk factors for heart disease. These include: (iv.81)

  • Increased triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels.
  • More damaging free radicals.
  • Lower HDL cholesterol levels.
  • Reduced antioxidant defenses.

For example, high blood sugar promotes plaque build-up in arteries: (iv.46)

High Blood Sugar Turns Cholesterol into Artery-Clogging Plaques

Figure IV.3: High Blood Sugar Turns Cholesterol into Artery-Clogging Plaques

Diabetics also have higher levels of molecules called AGEs than non-diabetics. Damage from these molecules is considered one of the main causes for heart complications in people with diabetes. (iv.5881)

What are AGEs?

In a series of chemical reactions, blood sugar binds to proteins, fats, and other molecules in the body to create advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in blood and tissue. These normally accumulate as we grow older. (iv.5874-75)

Beyond the normal aging process, high blood sugar levels contribute to forming more AGEs. High levels of AGEs activate special receptors in the cells that line blood vessels and smooth muscle cells. AGEs bind to the receptors and causes cells to not work properly, producing free radicals and inflammatory molecules. High levels of AGEs are thought to increase the severity of cardiovascular diseases, including in: (iv.5874-75)

  • Atherosclerosis
  • Obstructive coronary disease
  • Stroke

How Can Alpha Lipoic Acid Help?

Research indicates that alpha lipoic acid can help prevent or reduce the risks from heart disease in diabetics in a number of ways, including preventing the formation of dangerous AGEs molecules. (iv.111)

Evidence of Benefit

Some of the most current clinical studies include:

Table IV.14: Clinical Evidence of Alpha Lipoic Acid's Healthy Heart Effects in Diabetics
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical study. (iv.112)

Clinical Trial

200 mg oral alpha lipoic acid three times a day (taken 30 minutes before meals) for 91 days. (iv.112)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINT

20 adult patients with type-2 diabetes divided into 2 groups and randomly assigned to take alpha lipoic acid or placebo. (iv.112)

Alpha lipoic acid could stabilize or lower blood glucose levels in some type 2 diabetics. (iv.112)

Outcomes
  • Reduced HbA1c levels by more than 25% or reduced diabetic medications by half in a 3 of the 13 patients assigned to take alpha lipoic acid. (iv.112)

In an additional 5 of the 13 patients, alpha lipoic acid stabilized average glucose levels, despite changes in medication or adverse health events that typically raise them. (iv.112)

 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Controlled clinical study. (iv.66)

Clinical Study

Alpha lipoic acid with fenofibrate(iv.66)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINT

42 adult patients with a history of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. (iv.66)

Alpha lipoic acid helps fenofibrate reduce inflammation in diabetics with heart disease. (iv.66)

Outcomes
  • Increased adiponectin, a beneficial hormone involved in metabolism. (iv.66-67)
  • Reduced pro-inflammatory factors (such as TNF-α and hsCRP) that are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. (iv.66)
  • Decreased levels of pro-inflammatory growth factor VEGF. (iv.66)

One of the ways fenofibrate works is by activating PPAR-α protein that regulates genes involved in metabolizing sugars and fats. Studies show that alpha lipoic acid also activates PPAR-α. (iv.65-66)

 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Placebo controlled clinical study. (iv.46)

Clinical Study

100 mg alpha lipoic acid with 60 mg CoQ10 and 200 mg vitamin E daily for 3 months. (iv.46)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINT

59 adult patients with type 2 diabetes. (iv.46)

Alpha lipoic acid and other antioxidants work better at protecting and improving heart function in diabetics when used in combination. (iv.46)

Outcomes
  • Improved function of left ventricle in the heart. (iv.46)
  • Helped restore natural antioxidant levels. (iv.46)
  • Decreased free radical stress. (iv.46)

Other clinical studies indicate that alpha lipoic acid combined with only vitamin E can improve cholesterol profile in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the results were not statistically significant. (iv.46)

 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Controlled clinical studies comparing measured heart rates with and without alpha lipoic acid. (iv.85113)

Clinical Study

Alpha lipoic acid (Thyiogamma®) by infusion for 10 days. (iv.113)

800 mg/day oral supplements for 4 months. (iv.85)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINTS
  • 32 patients with diabetic polyneuropathy compared to a control group of 22 healthy subjects. (iv.113)
  • 73 patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes randomly assigned to take either oral alpha lipoic acid or a placebo (Deutsche Kardiale Autonome Neuropathie Studie). (iv.85)

Alpha lipoic acid may prevent or improve negative effects of diabetes on nerves in the heart. (iv.85113)

Outcomes

Patients given alpha lipoic acid showed improved heart rate responses caused by nerve damage in the heart due to diabetes. In the randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial oral supplements significantly improved heart rate abnormalities. (iv.85113)

 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. (iv.87)

Clinical Trial

600 mg/day oral alpha lipoic acid supplements for 5 weeks. (iv.87)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINT

51 patients with type 1 diabetes and no evidence of current heart disease. (iv.87)

Alpha lipoic acid may help reduces the risks of atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetics. (iv.8792)

Outcomes

Inhibited excess artery-clogging platelets. (iv.87)

 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. (iv.47)

Clinical Trial

300 g/day oral alpha lipoic acid supplement (along with their regular diabetes medication) for 90 days. (iv.47)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINTS

104 men and women (ages 21-65) with a history of type 2 diabetes for 5-10 years. (iv.47)

Alpha lipoic acid may help reduce the increased risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome in diabetics. (iv.47114)

Outcomes

In patients who took alpha lipoic acid, it had the following statistically significant effects compared to placebo: (iv.47)

  • Decreased waist size by 3%.
  • Lowered total cholesterol levels by 11.2% over the 90 days.

Alpha lipoic acid also reduced average fasting blood sugar levels by almost 3%, but it did not reach statistical significance. In those who took alpha lipoic acid, BMI went down by 2.5%, which is not as much those who took vitamin E or the omega-3 fatty acid supplement. (iv.47)

Even though the omega-3 group lost 10.4% body weight (as measured by BMI), the alpha lipoic acid group lost a greater percentage in waist size. Some heart doctors say you should be more concerned about your waist size than BMI. That's because the circumference of your waist is a good indicator of belly fat, a higher risk factor for heart disease than BMI or body weight alone. Reducing waist size is also linked to reducing insulin resistance. (iv.47114)

 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Clinical study. (iv.57)

Clinical Study

Alpha lipoic acid with benfotiamine. (iv.57)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINTS

9 patients with type 1 diabetes. (iv.57)

Alpha lipoic acid could help reduce the risk of heart disease and failure, diabetic retinopathy, and kidney damage in type 1 diabetics. (iv.57-58)

Outcomes
 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. (iv.115)

Clinical Trial

300 mg of alpha-lipoic acid daily for 8 weeks. (iv.115)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINT

57 adult patients with type 2 diabetes. (iv.115)

Alpha lipoic acid may reduce the risk of hypertension in people with diabetes(iv.115)

Outcomes

Lowered blood pressure. (iv.115)

 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Crossover double-blind clinical trial (the QUALITY study). (iv.98)

Clinical Trial

600 mg/day of alpha lipoic acid with 40 mg/day of quinapril for 8 weeks. (iv.98)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINT

40 diabetic patients with beginning hypertension. (iv.98)

In combination with ACE inhibitor drugs, alpha lipoic acid could help significantly lower high blood pressure in diabetics. (iv.98)

Outcomes
  • Lowered blood pressure. (iv.98)
  • Decreased protein levels in urine(iv.98)
  • Improved blood vessel cell function. (iv.98)

Alpha lipoic acid significantly improved the effectiveness of quinapril, an ACE inhibitor. (iv.98)

 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. (iv.83)

Clinical Trial

400 mg/day of oral alpha lipoic acid for 4 weeks, along with regular diabetes medication. (iv.83)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINTS

14 patients with controlled (non-insulin dependent) diabetes. (iv.83)

Alpha lipoic acid could help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular complications in diabetics. (iv.83)

Outcomes

Free radicals contribute to the formation of AGE molecules, which increases the severity of heart disease and other complications in diabetics. They also cause nerve damage and impair heart rate, a serious and sometimes fatal condition in diabetics. (iv.5885)

 
Study Details Alpha Lipoic Acid Form/Dosage and/or Drug Combination

Randomized, controlled clinical study. (iv.116)

Clinical Trial

600 mg/day doses by i.v. once a day for 3 weeks. (iv.116)

Patients TAKE AWAY POINTS
  • 60 adults with impaired fasting glucose, randomly assigned to take alpha lipoic acid or receive no treatment. (iv.116)
  • 32 healthy adults with normal glucose tolerance. (iv.116)

Alpha lipoic acid can improve blood vessel function in patients with elevated fasting glucose levels. (iv.116)

Outcomes
  • Improved blood flow in arteries, a sign of improved blood vessel functioning. (iv.116)
  • Decreased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, which are markers of free radical damage. (iv.116)

Improvements in blood vessel function correlated with decreased signs of free radical damage. This suggesting alpha lipoic acid's antioxidant properties help protect against the negative effects of high blood sugar on arteries. (iv.116)

How to Take Alpha Lipoic Acid

Nutritional experts suggest that patients at risk of developing diabetes take alpha lipoic along with other vitamins and nutrients (preferably in a multivitamin/multi-nutrient supplement). These include: (iv.45)

It's also recommended the supplements be divided and taken twice a day with food. (iv.45)

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)
Fenofibrate is a drug used to reduce triglyceride cholesterol levels. (iv.65)
Diabetic autonomic neuropathy. (iv.113)
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)
Specifically, prostacyclin synthase. (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)
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)
Due to factors such as excess weight, family history, prediabetes, and/or metabolic syndrome. (iv.45)
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