Effects of Chromium and Carnitine Co-supplementation on Body Weight and Metabolic Profiles in Overweight and Obese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial (Publication with Expression of Concern)

The primary aim of our study was to determine the influence of taking chromium plus carnitine on insulin resistance, with a secondary objective of evaluating the influences on lipid profiles and weight loss in overweight subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 54 overweight women were randomly assigned to receive either supplements (200 mu g/day chromium picolinate plus 1000 mg/day carnitine) or placebo (27/each group). Chromium and carnitine co-supplementation decreased weight (- 3.6 +/- 1.8 vs. - 1.0 +/- 0.7 kg, P < 0.001), BMI (- 1.3 +/- 0.7 vs. - 0.3 +/- 0.3 kg/m(2), P < 0.001), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (- 5.1 +/- 6.0 vs. - 1.1 +/- 4.9 mg/dL, P = 0.01), insulin (- 2.0 +/- 1.4 vs. - 0.2 +/- 1.2 mu IU/mL, P < 0.001), insulin resistance (- 0.5 +/- 0.4 vs. - 0.04 +/- 0.3, P < 0.001), triglycerides (- 18.0 +/- 25.2 vs. + 5.5 +/- 14.4 mg/dL, P < 0.001), total (- 17.0 +/- 20.3 vs. + 3.6 +/- 12.0 mg/dL, P < 0.001), and LDL cholesterol (- 13.3 +/- 19.2 vs. + 1.4 +/- 13.3 mg/dL, P = 0.002), and elevated insulin sensitivity (+ 0.007 +/- 0.005 vs. + 0.002 +/- 0.005, P < 0.001). In addition, co-supplementation upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (P = 0.02) and low-density lipoprotein receptor expression (P = 0.02). Overall, chromium and carnitine co-supplementation for 12 weeks to overweight women with PCOS had beneficial effects on body weight, glycemic control, lipid profiles except HDL cholesterol levels, and gene expression of PPAR-gamma and LDLR. Clinical trial registration number: : IRCT20170513033941N38.