α-Lipoic Acid Is Ineffective for Diabetic Neuropathy

In small short-term trials, the antioxidant α-lipoic acid (ALA) — which is available without a prescription — provided some symptom relief in patients with diabetic neuropathy. Now, researchers have performed a long-term international industry-supported trial that involved 460 diabetic patients with mild-to-moderate distal sensorimotor neuropathy who were randomized to either daily ALA (600 mg) or placebo for 4 years.

The primary endpoint was a standardized composite neuropathy score that reflected findings of both clinical neurological examination and nerve conduction studies of the lower extremities. Mean scores improved slightly in the ALA group and declined slightly in the placebo group, but the difference was not significant (P=0.1). Se…