Cochrane · systematic review · CD011265
Acetyl‐L‐carnitine for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Rolim, LCSP, da Silva, EMK, Flumignan, RLG, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2019 · Cochrane Library
NeuromuscularAMSTAR 2: not assessed
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
12
current version
GRADE rated
6
No studies
5
Included studies
NR
No studies 5 · 41.7%Ungraded 1 · 8.3%Very low 2 · 16.7%Low 4 · 33.3%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
Questions and results
Acetyl‐L‐carnitine compared to placebo for the treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy
Population: people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Pain at 6 months or more; all doses Assessed by change from baseline, using a 0‐ to 100‐mm VAS, where higher scores indicate more pain) Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 540 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency, indirectness |
Functional impairment and disability Assessed by NIS or NDS at 6 months or more Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs placebo | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Impairment of sensation Assessed by quantitative sensory testing ‐ vibration perception threshold ‐ at 6 months or more Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 341 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Impairment of sensation Assessed by quantitative sensory testing ‐ thermal threshold ‐ at 6 months or more Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs placebo | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Symptom quality and severity Assessed by change in symptom score on a validated screening questionnaire (NSS or MNSI) at 6 months or more Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 2 participants | Ungraded |
Adverse events: any adverse event, adverse events requiring withdrawal, and serious adverse events Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 540 participants | Low Downgraded: imprecision |
Acetyl‐L‐carnitine compared to methylcobalamin for the treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy
Population: the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Pain at 6 months or more Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs methylcobalamin | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Functional impairment and disability Assessed by change in NDS score (range of possible scores from 0 (normal function) to 10 (maximal disability) Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs methylcobalamin | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 232 participants | Low Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness |
Impairment of sensation: quantitative sensory testing ‐ vibration perception threshold ‐ at 6 months or more Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs methylcobalamin | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Impairment of sensation: quantitative sensory testing ‐ thermal threshold ‐ at 6 months or more Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs methylcobalamin | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Symptom quality and severity Assessed by NSS score (range of possible scores 0 to 9; higher scores indicate more symptoms) Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs methylcobalamin | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 232 participants | Low Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness |
Adverse events Acetyl‐L‐carnitine vs methylcobalamin | RR 1.01 [0.68, 1.52] | 1 study · 232 participants | Low Downgraded: indirectness |