{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]],"date-time":"2026-05-18T10:51:39Z","timestamp":1779101499955,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,1]],"date-time":"2020-11-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1604188800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>l-carnitine is an important factor in fatty acid metabolism, and carnitine deficiency is common in dialysis patients. This study evaluated whether l-carnitine supplementation improved muscle spasm, cardiac function, and renal anemia in dialysis patients. Eighty Japanese outpatients (62 hemodialysis (HD) patients and 18 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients) received oral l-carnitine (600 mg\/day) for 12 months; the HD patients further received intravenous l-carnitine injections (1000 mg three times\/week) for 12 months, amounting to 24 months of treatment. Muscle spasm incidence was assessed using a questionnaire, and cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography. Baseline free carnitine concentrations were relatively low in patients who underwent dialysis for &gt;4 years. Total carnitine serum concentration, free carnitine, and acylcarnitine significantly increased after oral l-carnitine treatment for 12 months, and after intravenous l-carnitine injection. There was no significant improvement in muscle spasms, although decreased muscle cramping after l-carnitine treatment was reported by 31% of patients who had undergone HD for &gt;4 years. Hemoglobin concentrations increased significantly at 12 and 24 months in the HD group. Therefore, l-carnitine may be effective for reducing muscle cramping and improving hemoglobin levels in dialysis patients, especially those who have been undergoing dialysis for &gt;4 years.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu12113371","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,1]],"date-time":"2020-11-01T20:05:25Z","timestamp":1604261125000},"page":"3371","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":26,"title":["Effects of l-Carnitine Supplementation in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis or Peritoneal Dialysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Masako","family":"Kuwasawa-Iwasaki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8412, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hiroaki","family":"Io","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8412, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Nerima Hospital, Tokyo 177-8521, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Masahiro","family":"Muto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8412, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Nerima Hospital, Tokyo 177-8521, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Saki","family":"Ichikawa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8412, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Keiichi","family":"Wakabayashi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8412, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital, Shizuoka 410-2211, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Reo","family":"Kanda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8412, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Junichiro","family":"Nakata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8412, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nao","family":"Nohara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8412, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yasuhiko","family":"Tomino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8412, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yusuke","family":"Suzuki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8412, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S120","DOI":"10.1067\/mhj.2000.103917","article-title":"Three-year survival of patients with heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy and l-carnitine administration","volume":"139","author":"Rizos","year":"2000","journal-title":"Am. 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