NCT06960694

Effect of L-carnitine on Disease Activity in Patients With Mild to Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis

Effect of L-carnitine on Disease Activity in Patients With Mild to Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 66 (actual)
• Sponsor: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of L-carnitine on symptomatic improvement, oxidative stress, and inflammation in mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis patients.

Detailed description

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint disease marked by cartilage degradation, synovial inflammation, and subchondral bone remodeling, resulting in persistent pain and disability. The most prevalent arthritis is OA, and responsible for most adult chronic pain and permanent disability. Osteoarthritis affected 595 million individuals worldwide in 2020, which accounted for 7.6% of the world's population. The most common kind of OA is knee osteoarthritis. Currently, there is no safe and effective therapy for knee OA. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines are commonly used to treat the symptoms of osteoarthritis, but long-term usage can lead to renal and cardiac complications. There is a higher demand for medicine that not only relieve symptoms but also decrease disease progression. Recently, there has been an increase in interest in complementary and alternative therapies, particularly nutritional supplements. L-carnitine, a naturally occurring chemical, is required for carrying long-chain fatty acids to the mitochondria, where they are oxidized to generate energy. It is mostly generated in the liver and kidneys from the amino acids-lysine and methionine. Research has demonstrated that L-carnitine has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics. Several animal and human studies have indicated that it improves osteoarthritis by lowering oxidative stress and inflammation. The proposed study aims to determine whether L-carnitine is more effective in lowering disease activity in mild to moderate knee OA compared to placebo. It will be a single-center study, utilizing a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial design. The study will involve 66 patients with mild to moderate knee OA. The participants will be randomly be assigned into two groups: Intervention group and Placebo group. Patients of Intervention group will receive tablet L-carnitine 330 mg 3 times daily for 8 weeks. The patients of Placebo group will receive tablet placebo 330 mg 3 times daily for the 8 weeks. In this study, we will evaluate MDA (Malondialdehyde), GSH (Glutathione), and hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) concentrations and three dimensions (pain, stiffness and physical activity) of Bangla version of WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index). In addition, we will assess various sociodemographic characteristics of all the participants.

Conditions

• Knee Osteoarthritis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	L-carnitine	This group will be treated with tablet L-carnitine 330 mg 3 times daily for 8 weeks
DRUG	Placebo	This group will be treated with tablet Placebo 330 mg 3 times daily for 8 weeks

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-06-28
• Primary completion: 2025-11-19
• Completion: 2025-11-19
• First posted: 2025-05-07
• Last updated: 2026-02-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Bangladesh