Alzheimer’s Disease

Evidence is mounting in favor of carnitine’s effectiveness in slowing the rate of neurological deterioration associated with Alzheimer’s disease. in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Archive of Neurology in 1992, researchers randomly assigned 30 participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease to receive either three grams of acetyl-L-carnitine per day or a placebo. After six months, subjects in the acetyl-L-cartinitine group showed significantly less deterioration in timed cancellation tasks and digital-recall tests. The researchers concluded that, “A subgroup of AD patients aged sixty-five or younger may benefit from treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine”.

In another study, scientists divided 130 people with Alzheimer’s disease into two groups: one that received two grams of acetyl-L-carnitine per day and one that received a placebo. Researchers used 14 diagnostic instruments in assess functional and cognitive impairment. While impairment in both groups worsened after one year, the group that received acetyl-L-carnitine showed a slower rate of deterioration in 13 of the 14 diagnostic measurements.