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Effect of L-carnitine on the physical fitness of thalassemic patients.

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Andy Battaglia:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17031691


--- Quote ---L carnitine for patients with thalassemia
Effect of L-carnitine on the physical fitness of thalassemic patients.
Ann Hematol. 2007 January. El-Beshlawy A, El Accaoui R, Abd El-Sattar M, Gamal El-Deen MH, Youssry I, Shaheen N, Hamdy M, El-Ghamrawy M, Taher A. Department of Pediatrics, New Children Hospital, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Poor physical fitness is a common problem among thalassemic patients. L-Carnitine plays an essential role in fatty acid beta-oxidation, a process especially important in the organs that preferentially use fatty acid as a source of energy such as the myocardium and the skeletal muscles. The main objective of this study is to assess the effect of the administration of oral L-carnitine on exercise tolerance and physical fitness in patients with thalassemia major. Thirty patients followed up at the New Cairo University Children Hospital were included in this study. Clinical, laboratory, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing were performed before and after 6 months of oral L-carnitine therapy (50 mg per kg per day). The oxygen consumption, cardiac output, and oxygen pulse at maximal exercise significantly increased after L-carnitine therapy. However, there was no significant change in minute ventilation and ventilatory equivalent of carbon dioxide. There was also significant increase in the blood transfusion intervals after L-carnitine administration. However, there was no significant change in hemoglobin concentration. L-Carnitine seems to be a safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic approach in thalassemic patients. It improves their cardiac performance and physical fitness. The younger the patients are, the higher is the degree of improvement in their exercise parameters.
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Thals need to understand that it isn't just their Hb level that determines how well they feel and how well they do. The health of the blood vessels is extremely important and this will not show up in Hb levels. L-carnitine helps to prevent the loss of flexibility in blood vessels, which leads to PHT, and tremendous stress on the heart. I highly recommend L-carnitine as a supplement for thals.

Sharmin:
Thank you for this information Andy,  I will be sure to get a prescription for my son.  I want to start him on L-carnitine as soon as possible. 

Sharmin

maha:
Even after showing the numerous benifits of L- Carnitine my doc refuses to prescribe it  :wah. Is it safe enough to be given without prescription?
maha

Manal:
Maha, i guess it is safe, as i told you it could be even taken during pregnancy, but what is his point of view????????????

manal

Manal:
One more thing i want to point to is that it is given 5 days in a week and you have two days off. Actually i don't know why,i will ask the hematologist and let you know

manal

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