Effects of propionyl-carnitine in patients with type 2 diabetes and peripheral vascular disease: results of a pilot trial

To assess the efficacy of propionyl-carnitine (PC) in patients with type 2 diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). This was an open pharmacodynamic study. Twenty-four obese patients with type 2 diabetes and PAD (stage IIb) were enrolled in the study. After an initial run-in period of 7 days on a low-calorie diet (1600 +/- 150 kcal/day), patients received intravenous PC (600mg in 100mL saline solution Na/K 0.9%) twice daily for 10 days (T1). Treatment with PC produced statistically significant increases in maximal walking distance (30%; p < 0.05) and initial claudication distance (15%; p < 0.05) in 15 and eight patients, respectively. In addition, a decrease in dosage of oral antihyperglycaemic agents was observed in 21 patients at T1. No PC-related adverse effects were reported. This study showed that acute intravenous administration of PC in patients with type 2 diabetes with PAD improved PAD-related symptoms as well as glycaemic control.