Combination Therapy of Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Gliclazide and Ramipril Protects Against Development of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy Inhibition of TGF-β/Smad Pathway.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major long-term complication of diabetes mellitus, accounting for over 20% of annual mortality rate of diabetic patients globally. Although several existing anti-diabetic drugs have improved glycemic status in diabetic patients, prevalence of DCM is still high. This study investigates cardiac effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation of anti-diabetic therapy in experimental DCM.

Supplementation of conventional anti-diabetic therapy with alpha-lipoic acid prevents early development and progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Current pharmacological interventions only retard DN progression. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a potent antioxidant with beneficial effect in other diabetic complications.