Alpha lipoic acid administration improved both peripheral sensitivity to insulin and liver clearance of insulin reducing potential risk of diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in overweight/obese PCOS patients

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the effects of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) on hormonal and metabolic parameters in a group of overweight/obese Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) patients.

Methods

This was a retrospective study in which thirty-two overweight/obese patients with PCOS (n = 32) not requiring hormonal treatment were selected from the database of the ambulatory clinic of the Gynecological Endocrinology Center at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. The hormonal profile, routine exams and insulin and C-peptide response to oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were evaluated before and after 12 weeks of complementary treatment with ALA (400 mg/day). Hepatic Insulin Extraction (HIE) index was also calculated.

Results

ALA administration significantly improved insulin sensitivity and decreased ALT and AST plasma levels in all subjects, though no changes were observed on reproductive hormones. When PCOS patients were subdivided according to the presence or absence of familial diabetes background, the higher effects of ALA were observed in the former group that showed AST and ALT reduction and greater HIE index decrease.

Conclusion

ALA administration improved insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese PCOS patients, especially in those with familial predisposition to diabetes. ALA administration improved both peripheral sensitivity to insulin and liver clearance of insulin. Such effects potentially decrease the risk of nonalcoholic fat liver disease and diabetes in PCOS patients.

Keywords:

• PCOS
• insulin resistance
• C-peptide
• alpha lipoic acid
• familial diabetes
• NAFLD

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Peter Chedraui, Universidad Espíritu Santo (UEES), Samborondón, Ecuador, for the helpful critical comments.

Author contributions

A.D.G., C.B., and T.P. participated in the study design and protocol development; L.R., G.P., C.A., F.R., M.F., A.S., and E.S. performed data collection; A.D.G. formal analysis; A.D.G. writing and preparation of the original draft; A.D.G. and C.B. reviewing and editing. All authors provided input into data interpretation, and critical review and have read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no external funding.