Table 2 Effects of L-carnitine supplementation on nutritional parameters

Laboratory parameters

 Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dL)

47.5 ± 15.5

42.9 ± 12.0

45.4 ± 12.7

 Creatinine (mg/dL)

6.9 ± 2.8

6.7 ± 2.2

6.6 ± 2.3

 Albumin (g/dL)

3.2 ± 0.3

3.1 ± 0.4

3.2 ± 0.4

 Transthyretin (mg/dL)

22.4 ± 5.9

22.5 ± 6.5

24.7 ± 9.7

 Transferrin (mg/dL)

154.9 ± 40.5

175.5 ± 42.6**

174.9 ± 47.8**

 Retinol-binding protein (mg/dL)

8.9 ± 2.5

9.2 ± 2.8

10.0 ± 3.4*

 Total lymphocyte count (/μL)

1190 ± 440

1250 ± 610

1150 ± 430

 HDL cholesterol (mg/dL)

41 ± 13

44 ± 13

43 ± 14

 LDL cholesterol (mg/dL)

73 ± 21

77 ± 27

81 ± 29*

 Triglyceride (mg/dL)

91 ± 56

107 ± 81

103 ± 58*

 Free fatty acid (mEq/L)

0.2 ± 0.3

0.2 ± 0.2

0.1 ± 0.1

 Ceruloplasmin (mg/dL)

22.5 ± 4.9

23.2 ± 10.3

22.6 ± 4.7

 Hemoglobin (g/dL)

10.0 ± 1.2

10.2 ± 2.0

10.2 ± 1.7

 Ammonia (μg/dL)

21 ± 10

32 ± 10**

36 ± 13**

Nutritional assessment index

 GNRI

83.9 ± 7.9

82.3 ± 7.8

82.7 ± 8.8

 PNI

38.2 ± 3.7

37.5 ± 4.3

37.3 ± 4.8

 nPCR

0.73 ± 0.04

0.66 ± 0.03

0.70 ± 0.04

  Kt/V for urea

1.3 ± 0.1

1.3 ± 0.1

1.4 ± 0.1

 %CGR

69.5 ± 6.8

65.7 ± 5.5

63.9 ± 5.4

Anthropometric parameters

 Dry weight (kg)

48.0 ± 12.5

47.8 ± 12.1

47.7 ± 11.7

 BMI (kg/m2)

19.0 ± 3.2

18.9 ± 3.0

18.8 ± 2.9

 TMA/TBA ratio^a

9.1 ± 3.0

ND

8.8 ± 3.1

 Handgrip strength (kg)^b

16.0 ± 8.1

ND

16.1 ± 8.6

 MAC (cm)

21.8 ± 3.1

ND

23.1 ± 3.8

 TSF (cm)

0.4 ± 0.3

ND

0.6 ± 0.3*

 MAMC (cm)

20.5 ± 3.1

ND

21.3 ± 3.6