The Effects of Long-Term Oral Benfotiamine Supplementation on Peripheral Nerve Function and Inflammatory Markers in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

A 24-month, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Fraser, David A. PHD
Diep, Lien M. MSC
Hovden, Inger Anette MD; PHD
Nilsen, Kristian B. MD; PHD
Sveen, Kari Anne MD
Seljeflot, Ingebjørg PHD
Hanssen, Kristian F. MD; PHD

¹Diabetes Research Centre, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
²Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
³Department of Neurology, Section for Clinical Neurophysiology, Oslo University Hospital-Ullevål, Oslo, Norway
⁴Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
⁵Center for Clinical Heart Research, Department of Cardiology B, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
⁶Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
⁷Department of Endocrinology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

Corresponding author: David A. Fraser, [email protected].

Received September 30, 2011

Accepted January 23, 2012

Diabetes Care 35(5):p 1095-1097, May 2012. | DOI: 10.2337/dc11-1895

OBJECTIVE

To study the effects of long-term oral benfotiamine supplementation on peripheral nerve function and soluble inflammatory markers in patients with type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The study randomly assigned 67 patients with type 1 diabetes to receive 24-month benfotiamine (300 mg/day) or placebo supplementation. Peripheral nerve function and levels of soluble inflammatory variables were assessed at baseline and at 24 months.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine patients completed the study. Marked increases in whole-blood concentrations of thiamine and thiamine diphosphate were found in the benfotiamine group (both P < 0.001 vs. placebo). However, no significant differences in changes in peripheral nerve function or soluble inflammatory biomarkers were observed between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that high-dose benfotiamine (300 mg/day) supplementation over 24 months has no significant effects upon peripheral nerve function or soluble markers of inflammation in patients with type 1 diabetes.