Table 1.
Patient characteristics
| Placebo (n = 8) | Carnitine treated (n = 10) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration of dialysis, months | 109 ± 62.5 | 157.4 ± 115.3 | n.s. |
| Age, years | 67.8 ± 9.4 | 65.9 ± 6.4 | n.s. |
| Male/female | 4/4 | 4/6 | n.s. |
| Hypertension | 7 out of 8 | 8 out of 10 | n.s. |
| Diabetes mellitus | 0 out of 8 | 1 out of 10 | n.s. |
| Dry weight, kg | 52.4 ± 15.4 | 53.7 ± 12.2 | n.s. |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 130.9 ± 17.4 | 136.0 ± 22.4 | n.s. |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 76.3 ± 5.3 | 75.1 ± 7.1 | n.s. |
| Hematocrit, % | 34.4 ± 3.1 | 34.4 ± 2.6 | n.s. |
| Hemoglobin, g/dl | 10.9 ± 1.0 | 10.9 ± 1.0 | n.s. |
| P, mg/dl | 5.8 ± 1.0 | 6.1 ± 1.3 | n.s. |
| i-PTH, pg/ml | 164.3 ± 108.5 | 140.0 ± 74.4 | n.s. |
| CRP, mg/dl | 0.19 ± 0.18 | 0.42 ± 0.8 | n.s. |
| BNP, pg/ml | 338.5 ± 343.9 | 309.7 ± 589.3 | n.s. |
| Drug therapy | |||
| Diuretics | 2 out of 8 | 3 out of 10 | n.s. |
| α-Blocker | 2 out of 8 | 0 out of 10 | n.s. |
| ß-Blocker | 2 out of 8 | 4 out of 10 | n.s. |
| Ca antagonist | 6 out of 8 | 6 out of 10 | n.s. |
| ACEi | 1 out of 8 | 0 out of 10 | n.s. |
| ARB | 6 out of 8 | 3 out of 10 | n.s. |
| α-Methyldopa | 1 out of 8 | 0 out of 10 | n.s. |
| Amezinium metilsulfate | 1 out of 8 | 1 out of 10 | n.s. |
P = Phosphate; i-PTH = intact parathyroid hormone; CRP = C-reactive protein; BNP = brain natriuretic peptide; ACEi = angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB = angiotensin receptor blocker; n.s. = not significant.