Can Alpha Lipoic Acid Increase the Risk of Heart Disease in Diabetics or Pre-Diabetics?

Using dietary antioxidant supplements and exercising may help counteract some of the effects of aging on heart health. However, some researchers suggest that combining the two might be detrimental in certain situations. ^(iv.123)

According to authors of a clinical study published in 2011, taking alpha lipoic acid could potentially increase the risk of heart disease in obese, glucose-intolerant people. Subjects in the study took 1 g/day of alpha lipoic acid for 12 weeks, with or without exercise. In those who only took the alpha lipoic acid, LDL (commonly thought of as "bad") cholesterol was oxidized faster than before taking alpha lipoic acid. The researchers indicated that faster oxidation of LDL increases the risk of developing clogged arteries and heart disease. ^(iv.123)

However, it should be noted that other experts who have reviewed multiple studies on antioxidant use disagree with the importance of these types of results. For a number of reasons, they show that evidence of faster oxidation of LDL with antioxidants does not strongly correlate to the development of heart disease. Some of the factors that can affect test results of how fast LDL is oxidized are levels of other antioxidants in the diet and the method of testing. These difficulties are acknowledged by the researchers who published the study in 2011 as well. ^(iv.124-125)