Should L-carnitine be taken to treat angina pectoris?

Dr. Gayle Nicholas Scott at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, reviewed the evidence on Medscape .

Here’s what we know.

• Levocarnitine or L-carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid.
• It’s absorbed from dietary sources including red meat.
• Heart muscle normally contains high levels of L-carnitine, but levels are lower in ischemia, leading to impaired electrical and contractile activities of the heart.
• The results from 2 studies of poor design conducted more than 10 years ago were positive for L-carnitine.
• Since then, interest in its use for angina pectoris dwindled.

The bottom line?

The author concluded that L-carnitine “remains an unproven approach to the treatment of angina.”

11/16/10 19:55 JR