NR-005
Ingredient Atlas entry · Compound
Alpha-lipoic acid
Also called thioctic acid, a compound the body makes itself
A compound the body makes in small amounts, sold as a supplement and given as a medicine in some countries. It is studied mostly in people with diabetes, especially for nerve symptoms in the feet and legs, and for blood sugar, liver and heart measures. Here is every study in people we could find, sorted from each study's summary.
- Also called: thioctic acid
- Most tested: 600 mg a day
- Given by mouth or by drip
The research map
From every paper to the studies that matter
Most research on alpha-lipoic acid is lab and animal work. Only a small share tests it in people, mostly in people with diabetes or another long-term condition, and that is what this page is about.
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8,410 papers mention alpha-lipoic acid.Every record in PubMed, all years
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865 are about people.The rest: 4,027 lab and animal studies, 900 reviews, 2,618 on chemistry, farming and more
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467 give alpha-lipoic acid on its own.246 more test it with other ingredients or inside a blend
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148 are randomised against a placebo.Randomised controlled trials In a randomised controlled trial, people are put into groups by chance, one taking the treatment and one a placebo or other comparison. Chance spreads differences such as age and health evenly, so a difference between the groups is more likely to be down to the treatment., the strongest kind of study
Bar lengths use a square-root scale so the small numbers stay visible.
At a glance
How much research there is
- 467 studies giving alpha-lipoic acid to people
- 148 of them randomised against a placebo A placebo-controlled trial compares a real treatment with a dummy that looks the same, the placebo. People often feel better when they expect to, so comparing against a placebo shows how much of the change comes from the treatment itself.
- 22,560 people taking part, where studies say
- 159 systematic reviews A systematic review searches for every study on a question in a set, written-down way, judges the quality of each and sums up what they show together. Many include a meta-analysis. The Atlas lists these as pooled reviews. pooling the trials
Studies in people, by year published
Alpha-lipoic acid on its own, by any route.
Randomised, placebo-controlled
Other designs
What was measured
What the studies looked at
Each study can measure several things. Choose a topic to see its studies in the list below.
Studies in people with a diagnosed condition are counted here and listed with their population. We describe what they measured, not what they might treat. Most studies also report safety; see below.
Doses and extracts
What was tested, and how much
Alpha-lipoic acid is a single compound, so milligrams compare directly from one study to the next. Some studies gave it by drip in hospital, often for two or three weeks, rather than by mouth, so check the route when you compare doses. Most gave it every day for weeks or months.
Daily amount, one dot per study
Summary read216 studies don't give a daily amount in their summary and aren't shown.
Studies per extract
Named extracts are the maker's brand. "Not named" means the study didn't say.
Have a label to check? Work out the R-lipoic acid in your own label
Every study
All studies in people
Filter the list, then open a study on PubMed. Each row comes from the study's published summary, or from its title where no summary is online.
| Study | Who took part | People | Extract and daily dose | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrera-Ochoa 2026Non-randomised controlled | Carpal tunnel syndrome surgery patients | 164 | Not named | – |
| Oh 2026RCT, active or other control | Painful diabetic neuropathy, type 2 diabetes | 151 | Not named, 480 mg | 12 weeks |
| Sallam 2026RCT, active or other control | Infertile women with PCOS on letrozole | 151 | Not named, 1,800 mg | – |
| Morsy 2026RCT, active or other control | Women with clomiphene-resistant PCOS | 120 | Not named, 1,200 mg | – |
| Spain 2026RCT, placebo | Progressive multiple sclerosis | 115 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 104 weeks |
| Rizkalla 2026RCT, placebo | Head and neck cancer patients on radiotherapy | 70 | Not named, 1,200 mg | – |
| Shama 2026RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetics with ischemic cardiomyopathy | 67 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Khadem 2026RCT, placebo | Couples with recurrent pregnancy loss (male sperm) | 64 | Not named | 12 weeks |
| Elhenawy 2026RCT, active or other control | Children with type 1 diabetes and nephropathy | 50 | Not named, 300 mg | 13 weeks |
| Kelany 2026RCT, active or other control | Breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy | 40 | Not named, 900 mg | 3 weeks |
| Anbari 2026RCT, placebo | Head and neck radiotherapy patients | 20 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 12 weeks |
| Kadrić 2026Single-arm or open-label | Chronic low back pain patients | 15 | Not named, 600 mg | 3 weeks |
| Chen 2026RCT, placebo | Ischemic heart failure patients | – | Not named | – |
| Cho 2025Observational | Korean adults with diabetic neuropathy | 8,740 | Not named | – |
| Gao 2025RCT, placebo | Adults undergoing liver resection under sevoflurane | 155 | Not named | – |
| Armeli Grigio 2025Observational | Type 2 diabetics with diabetic neuropathy | 98 | Not named, 800 mg | 12 weeks |
| Mohammadi 2025RCT, placebo | Patients with recent stroke | 80 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Csiha 2025Non-randomised controlled | Type 2 diabetics with neuropathy and controls | 78 | Not named, 600 mg | 26 weeks |
| Tutan 2025Observational | Diabetic neuropathy patients with restless legs | 65 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Sztanek 2025Single-arm or open-label | Type 2 diabetes with neuropathy | 54 | Not named, 600 mg | 26 weeks |
| Zárate 2025Pharmacokinetic | Healthy adult volunteers | 24 | Not named, 400 mg | – |
| Figueiredo 2024RCT, placebo | Adults with post-COVID smell loss | 128 | Not named | 12 weeks |
| Sooklert 2024RCT, placebo | Overweight adults | 116 | Not namedOn the skin | 2 weeks |
| Cantone 2024RCT, active or other control | Post-COVID parosmia and smell loss | 85 | Not named | 26 weeks |
| Wang 2024Non-randomised controlled | Obstructive sleep apnea patients on CPAP | 82 | Not named | – |
| Hernyák 2024Single-arm or open-label | Type 2 diabetics with polyneuropathy | 78 | Not named, 600 mg | 26 weeks |
| Gilron 2024RCT, active or other control | Adults with neuropathic pain | 55 | Not named | 18 weeks |
| Pingali 2024RCT, placebo | Diabetic neuropathy patients on gabapentin or pregabalin | 52 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Pingali 2024RCT, placebo | Diabetic neuropathy patients on gabapentin or pregabalin | 52 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Ak 2024Non-randomised controlled | Oral submucous fibrosis patients | 50 | Not named | 13 weeks |
| Genazzani 2024Single-arm or open-label | Overweight or obese women with PCOS | 32 | Not named, 400 mg | 12 weeks |
| Lazutka 2024Single-arm or open-label | Diabetic patients with neuropathic pain | 16 | Not named, 600 mg | 1 weeks |
| Longo 2024Other | Acute intermittent porphyria patients | – | Not named | – |
| Bilska-Wilkosz 2024Single-arm or open-label | Chronic kidney disease patients | – | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Cheng 2024RCT, active or other control | Diabetic peripheral neuropathy patients | – | Not named | – |
| Halabitska 2024Single-arm or open-label | Osteoarthritis with type 2 diabetes | – | Not named | – |
| Pei 2023RCT, active or other control | Women with polycystic ovary syndrome | 120 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Gülsah 2023Non-randomised controlled | Carpal tunnel syndrome patients | 115 | Not named | 12 weeks |
| Li 2023Single-arm or open-label | Type 2 diabetics with peripheral neuropathy | 106 | Not named | 3 weeks |
| Divković 2023RCT, placebo | Women with low-grade cervical lesions | 100 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Tutunchi 2023RCT, active or other control | Obese adults with NAFLD | 92 | Not named | 8 weeks |
| Hodeeb 2023RCT, placebo | Men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia | 80 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Scarinci 2023Single-arm or open-label | Women with PCOS and oligomenorrhea | 60 | Not named, 800 mg | 26 weeks |
| Puliappadamb 2023RCT, active or other control | Adolescents with migraine on flunarizine | 60 | Not named | 12 weeks |
| Habibi 2023RCT, placebo | Men from couples with recurrent pregnancy loss | 37 | Not named, 600 mg | 11 weeks |
| Basile 2023Single-arm or open-label | Older adults without clinical cognitive decline | 15 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| De Lima 2023RCT, placebo | Patients with schizophrenia on antipsychotics | – | Not named, 100 mg | 16 weeks |
| Vasilios 2023Other | Patients with diabetes | – | Not named | – |
| Gilron 2023RCT, active or other control | Adults with fibromyalgia | – | Not named | 18 weeks |
| Jermendy 2023Observational | Hungarian adults with diabetic neuropathy | – | Not named | – |
| Sacchetto 2023Single-arm or open-label | Chronic tinnitus patients | – | Not named, 600 mg | 8 weeks |
| Mohammadshahi 2022RCT, active or other control | Obese adults on weight-loss diet | 100 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 8 weeks |
| Divković 2022RCT, placebo | Women with low-grade cervical lesions | 100 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Kelishadi 2022RCT, placebo | Women with episodic migraine | 92 | Not named, 300 mg | 12 weeks |
| Altunina 2022Single-arm or open-label | Type 2 diabetes with coronary disease | 80 | Not named, 600 mg | 17 weeks |
| Habibi 2022RCT, placebo | Infertile men with high sperm DNA damage | 70 | Not named, 600 mg | 11 weeks |
| Halabitska 2022RCT, active or other control | Osteoarthritis with type 2 diabetes | 67 | Not named | – |
| Werida 2022RCT, placebo | Women with breast cancer on chemotherapy | 64 | Not named, 600 mg | 26 weeks |
| Abdel Hamid 2022RCT, active or other control | Diabetic hemodialysis patients | 60 | Not named, 600 mg | 26 weeks |
| Ostadmohammadi 2022RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetics with coronary heart disease | 60 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Ahmadi 2022RCT, placebo | Adults with metabolic syndrome | 46 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Jannatifar 2022RCT, active or other control | Women with PCOS undergoing ICSI | 40 | Not named, 1,800 mg | 6 weeks |
| Mishra 2022RCT, placebo | Treatment-resistant schizophrenia | 20 | Not named | 8 weeks |
| Iannuzzo 2022Single-arm or open-label | Schizophrenia patients on atypical antipsychotics | 15 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Esposito 2021RCT, placebo | Normoglycemic adults with idiopathic pain | 210 | Not named | 9 weeks |
| Karalis 2021Single-arm or open-label | Greek type 2 diabetes patients | 148 | Not named | 35 weeks |
| Abdelrahman 2021RCT, active or other control | Patients with lumbosacral radicular pain | 120 | Thiotacid, 1,800 mg | 5 weeks |
| Pacini 2021RCT, active or other control | Patients with low back pain and sciatic neuropathy | 100 | (+)-thioctic acid vs racemic, 600 mg | 9 weeks |
| Rezaei Kelishadi 2021RCT, placebo | Women with episodic migraine | 92 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Nasiri 2021RCT, placebo | Overweight adults on weight-loss diet | 88 | Not named, 600 mg | 24 weeks |
| Esin 2021RCT, active or other control | Type 2 diabetes with polyneuropathy | 78 | Not named, 600 mg | 16 weeks |
| Cao 2021Non-randomised controlled | Elderly diabetic nephropathy patients | 76 | Not named | – |
| Mandani 2021RCT, placebo | Women with gestational diabetes | 60 | Not named, 300 mg | 8 weeks |
| Nádró 2021Single-arm or open-label | Type 2 diabetes patients with peripheral neuropathy | 54 | Not named, 600 mg | 26 weeks |
| Haidari 2021RCT, placebo | Infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia | 44 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Serhiyenko 2021RCT, active or other control | Type 2 diabetes with cardiac autonomic neuropathy | 36 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Gilron 2021Crossover, placebo | Adults with fibromyalgia | 27 | Not named, 1,663 mg | – |
| Sharifi-Zahabi 2021Crossover, placebo | Beta-thalassemia major patients | 26 | Not named, 600 mg | 8 weeks |
| Zhong 2021RCT, placebo | Critically ill COVID-19 patients | 17 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 1 weeks |
| Sun 2021RCT, placebo | Adults with stable nonsegmental vitiligo on NB-UVB | – | Not named, 300 mg | 26 weeks |
| Derosa 2020Observational | Healthy subjects with euglycemia or dysglycemia | 322 | Not named | 208 weeks |
| El-Nahas 2020RCT, placebo | Patients with symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy | 200 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 26 weeks |
| Passiatore 2020RCT, active or other control | Patients with mild-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome | 134 | Not named | 9 weeks |
| Altunina 2020Non-randomised controlled | Type 2 diabetes patients after myocardial infarction | 112 | Not named | 17 weeks |
| Al-Nami 2020Non-randomised controlled | Type 2 diabetes patients on metformin | 100 | Not named, 600 mg | 10 weeks |
| Bobe 2020RCT, placebo | Overweight or obese adults with raised triglycerides | 81 | R-lipoic acid, 600 mg | 24 weeks |
| El Amrousy 2020RCT, placebo | Obese children and adolescents | 80 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Piddubna 2020Single-arm or open-label | Chronic hemoblastosis with polyneuropathy | 77 | Not named | – |
| Baziar 2020RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes patients | 70 | Not named, 1,200 mg | – |
| Asatiani 2020Non-randomised controlled | Men with neurological disorders after ephedrone use | 60 | Thiogamma, 600 mg | 4 weeks |
| Aslfalah 2020RCT, placebo | Women with gestational diabetes | 60 | Not named, 100 mg | 8 weeks |
| Lai 2020Non-randomised controlled | ADPKD patients with CKD stage G2/G3 | 59 | Not named, 1,600 mg | 26 weeks |
| Shaafi 2020RCT, active or other control | Acute ischemic stroke patients on enteral feeding | 42 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 3 weeks |
| Cameron 2020RCT, active or other control | People with progressive multiple sclerosis | 20 | R-LA vs R,S-LA, 600 mg | 1 weeks |
| Jamshidi 2020Crossover, placebo | Beta-thalassemia major patients | 20 | Not named, 600 mg | 8 weeks |
| Isenmann 2020Crossover, placebo | Well-trained male athletes after intense training | 17 | Not named | 1 weeks |
| Cil 2020Single-arm or open-label | Children with cystinuria | 2 | Not named | 9 weeks |
| Xing 2020Other | Two diabetic patients, ALA-induced autoimmune syndrome | 2 | Not named | – |
| Kim 2020RCT, placebo | Adults with geographic atrophy from AMD | – | Not named, 1,200 mg | 78 weeks |
| Abbasi 2020RCT, placebo | Infertile men after varicocelectomy | – | Not named, 600 mg | 11 weeks |
| Mendoza-Núñez 2019Non-randomised controlled | Older adults with type 2 diabetes | 135 | Not named, 600 mg | 26 weeks |
| Kadar Ali 2019RCT, active or other control | Acute amitriptyline poisoning patients | 132 | Not named | – |
| Murray 2019Non-randomised controlled | Adults with orthostatic hypotension and low sympathetic tone | 109 | R-ALA | – |
| Jiang 2019RCT, active or other control | Early-stage diabetic kidney disease patients | 102 | Not named | 2 weeks |
| Yousefi 2019RCT, placebo | Girls with primary dysmenorrhea | 100 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Genazzani 2019Observational | Overweight or obese women with PCOS | 90 | Not named, 400 mg | 12 weeks |
| Kolahi 2019RCT, placebo | Rheumatoid arthritis patients | 70 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 8 weeks |
| Tromba 2019RCT, placebo | Overweight or obese children and adolescents | 67 | Not named | 13 weeks |
| Mahdavi 2019RCT, placebo | Hemodialysis patients | 63 | Not named, 600 mg | 8 weeks |
| Aslfalah 2019RCT, placebo | Women with gestational diabetes | 60 | Not named, 100 mg | 8 weeks |
| Aslfalah 2019RCT, placebo | Women with gestational diabetes | 60 | Not named, 100 mg | 8 weeks |
| Hosseinpour-Arjmand 2019RCT, placebo | Obese adults with NAFLD | 50 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 12 weeks |
| Rahmanabadi 2019RCT, placebo | Obese adults with NAFLD | 50 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 12 weeks |
| Pieralice 2019Observational | Diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy symptoms | 49 | Not named, 600 mg | 9 weeks |
| Falardeau 2019RCT, placebo | Adults with acute optic neuritis | 31 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 6 weeks |
| Gosselin 2019Crossover, placebo | Overweight pre-diabetic adults with dyslipidemia | 12 | Not named, 600 mg | 4 weeks |
| Kobayashi 2019Pharmacokinetic | Healthy adults taking ALA supplement | – | Not named | – |
| Papazafeiropoulou 2019Single-arm or open-label | Patients with diabetic neuropathy | – | Not named | 13 weeks |
| Šabanović 2018RCT, active or other control | Patients with grade 2-3 hemorrhoids | 100 | Not named, 200 mg | 12 weeks |
| Hejazi 2018RCT, placebo | Critically ill ICU patients on enteral feeding | 80 | Not named, 900 mg | 1 weeks |
| Agathos 2018Single-arm or open-label | Patients with painful diabetic neuropathy | 72 | Not named, 600 mg | 6 weeks |
| Mohammadi 2018RCT, placebo | Patients after stroke | 67 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Hakeem 2018Observational | Burning mouth syndrome patients, retrospective records | 64 | Not named | – |
| Loy 2018RCT, placebo | People with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis | 54 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 104 weeks |
| Barbosa 2018RCT, active or other control | Burning mouth syndrome and secondary oral burning patients | 44 | Not named | – |
| Rhee 2018Pharmacokinetic | Healthy male volunteers | 42 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Han 2018RCT, active or other control | Diabetic peripheral neuropathy patients | 40 | Not named | 2 weeks |
| Casciato 2018RCT, placebo | Liver transplant recipients | 40 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Cavestro 2018Single-arm or open-label | Migraine patients with insulin resistance | 32 | Not named, 800 mg | 26 weeks |
| Genazzani 2018Single-arm or open-label | Obese women with PCOS | 32 | Not named, 400 mg | 12 weeks |
| Monroy Guízar 2018RCT, placebo | Adults with carpal tunnel syndrome around surgery | 20 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Mrakic-Sposta 2018Single-arm or open-label | Type 2 diabetic neuropathy patients | 12 | R(+)-thioctic acid, 1,600 mg | 17 weeks |
| Georgakouli 2018Crossover, placebo | Men with G6PD deficiency doing exhaustive exercise | 8 | Not named, 600 mg | 4 weeks |
| Fiedler 2018Pharmacokinetic | Healthy controls and multiple sclerosis patients | – | Not named, 1,200 mg | – |
| Romo-Hualde 2018RCT, placebo | Healthy overweight or obese women on diet | – | Not named, 300 mg | 10 weeks |
| Escoté 2018RCT, placebo | Overweight or obese women on hypocaloric diet | – | Not named | 10 weeks |
| Parente 2017Observational | Pregnant women taking ALA, retrospective | 610 | Not named, 600 mg | 7 weeks |
| Li 2017Crossover, placebo | Overweight or obese Chinese adults | 103 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 8 weeks |
| Lee 2017RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes with cardiac autonomic neuropathy | 75 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 24 weeks |
| Mohammadi 2017RCT, placebo | Patients after stroke | 67 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Boriani 2017RCT, placebo | Carpal tunnel syndrome patients after decompression surgery | 64 | Not named | 6 weeks |
| Sun 2017RCT, active or other control | Early diabetic nephropathy patients | 62 | Not named, 600 mg | 8 weeks |
| Hong 2017RCT, active or other control | Elderly diabetic nephropathy patients | 62 | Not named, 450 mg | 2 weeks |
| Spain 2017RCT, placebo | Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis | 51 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 104 weeks |
| Usta Atmaca 2017RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes with neuropathy plus healthy-weight controls | 44 | Not named, 600 mg | 6 weeks |
| Grandi 2017RCT, placebo | Pregnant women after preterm labour, vaginal use | 40 | Not named, 10 mg | 4 weeks |
| Khalili 2017RCT, placebo | Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients | 24 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 12 weeks |
| El-Komy 2017Non-randomised controlled | Women with facial skin aging, split-face | 20 | Not namedOn the skin | 26 weeks |
| Baumgartner 2017RCT, placebo | Adults with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes | 20 | Not named, 600 mg | 4 weeks |
| Vidović 2017Single-arm or open-label | Patients with schizophrenia | 18 | Not named, 500 mg | 13 weeks |
| Sanders 2017Single-arm or open-label | Adults with schizophrenia on antipsychotics | 10 | Not named, 100 mg | 17 weeks |
| Huerta 2017RCT, active or other control | Healthy overweight/obese women on hypocaloric diet | – | Not named, 300 mg | 10 weeks |
| Sardu 2017RCT, placebo | Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation | – | Not named | 52 weeks |
| Ziegler 2016RCT, placebo | Diabetic polyneuropathy patients, post-hoc of NATHAN 1 | 460 | Not named, 600 mg | 208 weeks |
| Choi 2016Observational | Diabetic patients with ischemic stroke after tPA | 172 | Not named | – |
| Tao 2016RCT, placebo | Dry age-related macular degeneration patients | 100 | Not named | – |
| Costantino 2016RCT, active or other control | Pregnant women with threatened miscarriage | 62 | Not named, 10 mg | – |
| Li 2016RCT, placebo | Progressive non-segmental vitiligo patients | 50 | Not named | 26 weeks |
| Ambrosi 2016Non-randomised controlled | Kidney-pancreas transplant recipients | 26 | Not named | – |
| Kim 2016RCT, placebo | Overweight patients with schizophrenia on antipsychotics | 22 | Not named, 1,800 mg | 12 weeks |
| Sarezky 2016Single-arm or open-label | Healthy elderly adults, tolerability | 15 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 2 weeks |
| Ikuta 2016Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | 6 | R-LA/gamma-cyclodextrin complex | – |
| Marfella 2016RCT, placebo | Patients with prior takotsubo cardiomyopathy | – | Not named, 600 mg | 52 weeks |
| Huerta 2015RCT, placebo | Healthy overweight or obese women on diet | 97 | Not named, 300 mg | 10 weeks |
| Huerta 2015RCT, placebo | Healthy overweight or obese women on diet | 73 | Not named, 300 mg | 10 weeks |
| Huerta 2015RCT, placebo | Healthy overweight or obese women on diet | 73 | Not named, 300 mg | 10 weeks |
| Scaramuzza 2015RCT, placebo | Adolescents with type 1 diabetes | 71 | Not named | 26 weeks |
| Mirtaheri 2015RCT, placebo | Women with rheumatoid arthritis | 70 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 8 weeks |
| Lin 2015Non-randomised controlled | Type 2 diabetics with healthy controls | 66 | Not named | 26 weeks |
| Dworacka 2015Non-randomised controlled | Type 2 diabetes with CAD and neuropathy | 60 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Palacios-Sánchez 2015RCT, placebo | Burning mouth syndrome patients | 60 | Not named, 600 mg | 8 weeks |
| Okanović 2015Non-randomised controlled | Obese type 2 diabetes with polyneuropathy | 60 | Not named, 600 mg | 20 weeks |
| Mohammadi 2015RCT, placebo | Men with chronic spinal cord injury | 58 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Garcia-Alcala 2015RCT, active or other control | Type 2 diabetes with polyneuropathy, randomised withdrawal | 45 | Not named, 600 mg | 20 weeks |
| Porcaro 2015RCT, active or other control | Pregnant women with threatened miscarriage | 19 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Ratliff 2015Single-arm or open-label | Non-diabetic schizophrenia patients on antipsychotics | 12 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 10 weeks |
| Maglione 2015Single-arm or open-label | Patients with neuropathic pain | – | R-ALA liquid | – |
| Guo 2014RCT, placebo | Cancer patients on platinum chemotherapy | 243 | Not named, 1,800 mg | 24 weeks |
| Patel 2014Observational | Diabetic neuropathy patients, three drug groups | 101 | Not named | 26 weeks |
| Mustafa Nachvak 2014RCT, placebo | Children with Down syndrome | 93 | Not named, 100 mg | 17 weeks |
| Zhao 2014RCT, active or other control | Aged type 2 diabetes with acute cerebral infarction | 90 | Not named | 3 weeks |
| 2014Non-randomised controlled | Hypertension with type 2 diabetes | 84 | Not named, 600 mg | 26 weeks |
| Gębka 2014RCT, active or other control | Type 1 and 2 diabetes patients and controls | 80 | Not named, 300 mg | 13 weeks |
| Zheng 2014Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers, two crossover and parallel studies | 72 | Piperazine dithioctate vs Thioctacid HR, 600 mg | – |
| Bao 2014Non-randomised controlled | Type 2 diabetics with microalbuminuria, healthy controls | 66 | Not named, 600 mg | 26 weeks |
| Safa 2014RCT, placebo | Hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease | 60 | Not named, 600 mg | 8 weeks |
| Mendes 2014RCT, placebo | Hypertensive patients | 60 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Vidović 2014Non-randomised controlled | Patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls | 56 | Not named, 500 mg | 13 weeks |
| Khalili 2014RCT, placebo | Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis | 52 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 12 weeks |
| Khalili 2014RCT, placebo | Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis | 52 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 12 weeks |
| Hermann 2014Pharmacokinetic | Healthy adult men and women | 24 | Thioctacid, 600 mg | – |
| Morawin 2014RCT, placebo | Healthy young males, eccentric exercise | 16 | Thiogamma, 1,200 mg | 1 weeks |
| Showkat 2014Single-arm or open-label | End-stage renal disease patients receiving IV iron | 10 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Nasole 2014RCT, placebo | Chronic leg wounds receiving hyperbaric oxygen | – | LA and R-lipoic acid | 6 weeks |
| Sherif 2014RCT, placebo | Adult volunteers with photo-aged facial skin | – | ALA cubosome P407 gelOn the skin | – |
| Kharchenko 2014Non-randomised controlled | Acute 2,4-D herbicide poisoning patients | – | Not named | – |
| Iciek 2014Single-arm or open-label | Peritoneal dialysis patients | – | Not named, 600 mg | 4 weeks |
| Strokov 2013Single-arm or open-label | Diabetic polyneuropathy patients | 205 | Thiolepta, 600 mg | 4 weeks |
| Jo 2013RCT, active or other control | Renal insufficiency undergoing coronary angiography | 202 | Not named, 1,800 mg | 0 weeks |
| Huang 2013RCT, active or other control | Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes | 160 | Not named | 2 weeks |
| Manning 2013RCT, placebo | Metabolic syndrome | 151 | Not named, 600 mg | 52 weeks |
| Fava 2013Single-arm or open-label | Alzheimer's patients with or without diabetes | 126 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Yang 2013RCT, active or other control | Type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy | 120 | Not named | 2 weeks |
| Udupa 2013RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes with insulin resistance | 104 | Not named | 13 weeks |
| Ahmadi 2013RCT, placebo | Hemodialysis patients | 85 | Not named, 600 mg | 9 weeks |
| Cicek 2013RCT, active or other control | Diabetics undergoing coronary angiography | 78 | Thioctacid 600 HR | – |
| Li 2013RCT, placebo | Acute coronary syndrome | 63 | Not named, 600 mg | 1 weeks |
| Lakhtin 2013Non-randomised controlled | Periodontitis patients, heavy metal exposure | 50 | Not named, 600 mg | 9 weeks |
| Mitkov 2013RCT, active or other control | Men with type 2 diabetes and erectile dysfunction | 45 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| El-Nakib 2013RCT, active or other control | Hemodialysis patients on erythropoietin | 44 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Hegazy 2013RCT, active or other control | Children with type 1 diabetes | 30 | Not named, 600 mg | 17 weeks |
| Ibrahimpasic 2013Non-randomised controlled | Type 2 diabetes with neuropathy | 20 | Not named | 17 weeks |
| Zembron-Lacny 2013RCT, placebo | Physically active men | 16 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 1 weeks |
| Georgakouli 2013Non-randomised controlled | Adults with G6PD deficiency and controls | 16 | Not named, 600 mg | 4 weeks |
| Fogarty 2013RCT, active or other control | Healthy young men | 12 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 2 weeks |
| Uyar 2013RCT, active or other control | Coronary bypass surgery patients | – | Not named | – |
| Fedin 2013RCT, active or other control | Chronic cerebral ischemia patients | – | Not named | – |
| Udupa 2012RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes with insulin resistance | 104 | Not named | – |
| Yu 2012Other | Obese type 2 diabetes patients | 81 | Not named | – |
| Khabbazi 2012RCT, placebo | Hemodialysis patients | 63 | Not named, 600 mg | 8 weeks |
| Sun 2012RCT, placebo | Age-related macular degeneration | 62 | R-lipoic acid | – |
| Mollo 2012RCT, placebo | Type 1 diabetes | 51 | Not named, 600 mg | 5 weeks |
| Porasuphatana 2012RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes | 38 | Not named | 26 weeks |
| Quaranta 2012RCT, active or other control | Young normal-hearing volunteers | 30 | Not named, 600 mg | 1 weeks |
| Tsai 2012Non-randomised controlled | Healthy volunteers | – | Not namedOn the skin | – |
| Keith 2012Pharmacokinetic | Older and young adults | – | Not named, 500 mg | – |
| Okuyucu 2012Other | Diabetic neuropathy patients | – | Thioctacid | – |
| Haritoglou 2011RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes patients | 467 | Not named, 600 mg | 104 weeks |
| Ziegler 2011RCT, placebo | Diabetic polyneuropathy | 460 | Not named, 600 mg | 208 weeks |
| Koh 2011RCT, placebo | Obese adults | 360 | Not named, 1,800 mg | 20 weeks |
| Huang 2011Crossover, placebo | Overweight and obese adults | 103 | Not named | 8 weeks |
| de Oliveira 2011RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes | 102 | Not named, 600 mg | 17 weeks |
| Xiang 2011RCT, active or other control | Impaired fasting glucose | 60 | Not named, 600 mg | 3 weeks |
| Ansar 2011RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes | 57 | Not named, 300 mg | 8 weeks |
| McNeilly 2011RCT, active or other control | Obese adults with impaired glucose tolerance | 24 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 12 weeks |
| Zhang 2011Single-arm or open-label | Obese adults with impaired glucose tolerance | 22 | Not named, 600 mg | 2 weeks |
| Xiao 2011Crossover, placebo | Overweight and obese non-diabetic men | 8 | Not named, 1,800 mg | 2 weeks |
| Artamonova 2011RCT, active or other control | Vibration disease patients | – | Tiolepta | – |
| Mignini 2011Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | – | ALA600, 600 mg | – |
| Volchegorskiĭ 2011RCT, active or other control | Diabetes patients | – | Not named, 600 mg | 2 weeks |
| Baranova 2011Single-arm or open-label | Acute ischemic stroke patients | – | Berlition | – |
| Carbonelli 2010Single-arm or open-label | Pre-obese and obese adults | 1,127 | Not named, 800 mg | 17 weeks |
| Gu 2010RCT, placebo | Diabetic polyneuropathy | 236 | Not named, 1,800 mg | 12 weeks |
| Kanorskiĭ 2010RCT, active or other control | Type 2 diabetes with atrial fibrillation and neuropathy | 94 | Not named | – |
| Cagini 2010RCT, active or other control | Cataract surgery patients | 70 | Not namedOn the skin | – |
| Marino 2010RCT, active or other control | Burning mouth syndrome | 56 | Not named | 9 weeks |
| Lee 2010RCT, active or other control | Parkinson's disease with low bone density | 42 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 52 weeks |
| G D 2010RCT, active or other control | Women with subclinical hypothyroidism | 40 | Not named | 3 weeks |
| Ali 2010Non-randomised controlled | Adolescent girls with migraine | 40 | Not named, 300 mg | 4 weeks |
| Mittermayer 2010RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes | 30 | Not named, 600 mg | 3 weeks |
| Heinisch 2010RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes | 30 | Not named, 600 mg | 3 weeks |
| Salinthone 2010Single-arm or open-label | Multiple sclerosis patients | 20 | Not named, 1,200 mg | – |
| Rao 2010Non-randomised controlled | Oral submucous fibrosis patients | 18 | Not named | – |
| Masharani 2010Single-arm or open-label | Lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome | 6 | Controlled-release ALA, 1,200 mg | 16 weeks |
| Ametov 2010RCT, placebo | Diabetic polyneuropathy | – | Not named, 600 mg | 3 weeks |
| Ruessmann 2009Observational | Painful diabetic neuropathy outpatients | 443 | Not named, 600 mg | 260 weeks |
| Fedin 2009Non-randomised controlled | Atherosclerosis patients and healthy volunteers | 127 | Berlithion, 600 mg | 2 weeks |
| Sadykova 2009RCT, active or other control | Type 2 diabetes with autonomic neuropathy | 82 | Not named | – |
| Carbone 2009RCT, placebo | Burning mouth syndrome | 66 | Not named, 400 mg | 8 weeks |
| López-Jornet 2009RCT, placebo | Burning mouth syndrome | 60 | Thioderm, 800 mg | 8 weeks |
| Martins 2009RCT, placebo | Sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease | 60 | Not named, 200 mg | 13 weeks |
| Zembron-Lacny 2009RCT, placebo | Healthy trained men | 55 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 0 weeks |
| Cavalcanti 2009Crossover, placebo | Burning mouth syndrome | 38 | Not named | – |
| Zembron-Lacny 2009RCT, active or other control | Healthy resistance-trained men | 33 | Not named, 600 mg | 1 weeks |
| Zembron-Lacny 2009RCT, placebo | Healthy physically active men | 28 | Not named, 600 mg | 1 weeks |
| Bae 2009Crossover, placebo | Rheumatoid arthritis | 20 | Not named, 900 mg | 4 weeks |
| Gianturco 2009RCT, placebo | Controlled non-insulin dependent diabetes | – | Not named, 400 mg | 4 weeks |
| Bureković 2008Single-arm or open-label | Type 1 and 2 diabetics with polyneuropathy | 100 | Not named, 600 mg | 15 weeks |
| Memeo 2008RCT, active or other control | Sciatica from herniated disc | 64 | Not named, 600 mg | 9 weeks |
| Al-Zamil 2008RCT, active or other control | Type 2 diabetes with neuropathy and retinopathy | 54 | Berlition, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Steele 2008Observational | Patients with burning mouth | 47 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Xiang 2008RCT, placebo | Impaired glucose tolerance patients | 42 | Not named, 300 mg | – |
| Huang 2008RCT, placebo | Adolescents with type 1 diabetes | 40 | CRLA | 13 weeks |
| Jariwalla 2008RCT, placebo | HIV-infected adults unresponsive to HAART | 33 | Not named, 900 mg | 26 weeks |
| Al'-Zamil' 2008Single-arm or open-label | Diabetic sensory-motor neuropathy patients | 28 | Berlition, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Iksanova 2008Non-randomised controlled | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 26 | Berlition | 1 weeks |
| Kim 2008Single-arm or open-label | Schizophrenia patients on antipsychotics | 7 | Not named | 12 weeks |
| Alleva 2008RCT, placebo | Chronic wound patients on hyperbaric oxygen | – | Not named | 2 weeks |
| Kolesnichenko 2008Non-randomised controlled | Ischemic stroke patients | – | Not named | – |
| Amenta 2008Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | – | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Volchegorskiĭ 2008RCT, active or other control | Early diabetic foot syndrome with neuropathy | – | Not named, 600 mg | 2 weeks |
| Podymova 2008Other | Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis | – | Berlition | – |
| Liu 2007RCT, active or other control | Type 2 diabetes with neuropathy | 95 | Not named, 600 mg | 2 weeks |
| Zembron-Lacny 2007RCT, placebo | Healthy men, intense resistance exercise | 55 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 0 weeks |
| Chang 2007RCT, active or other control | Diabetic haemodialysis patients | 50 | Not named, 600 mg | 12 weeks |
| Magis 2007RCT, placebo | Migraine patients | 44 | Thioctacid, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Hager 2007Single-arm or open-label | Alzheimer's disease patients on cholinesterase inhibitors | 43 | Not named, 600 mg | 208 weeks |
| Jin 2007Single-arm or open-label | Diabetic neuropathy patients and controls | 32 | Not named, 600 mg | 2 weeks |
| Vincent 2007RCT, placebo | Peripheral arterial disease patients | 28 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Carlson 2007Pharmacokinetic | Healthy adults | 12 | Sodium R-lipoate, 600 mg | – |
| Vossler 2007RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes patients | – | Dexlipotam (R-ALA salt) | 4 weeks |
| Mignini 2007Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | – | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Ziegler 2006RCT, placebo | Diabetic polyneuropathy patients | 181 | Not named | 5 weeks |
| Dünschede 2006Non-randomised controlled | Patients undergoing liver resection | 24 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Kamenova 2006Non-randomised controlled | Type 2 diabetes patients | 24 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 4 weeks |
| Sola 2005RCT, placebo | Metabolic syndrome patients | 58 | Not named, 300 mg | 4 weeks |
| Yadav 2005RCT, placebo | Multiple sclerosis patients | 37 | Not named | 2 weeks |
| Bregovskiĭ 2005Single-arm or open-label | Type 1 diabetics with lower limb polyneuropathy | 27 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Teichert 2005Pharmacokinetic | Renal impairment patients and healthy subjects | 24 | Not named, 600 mg | 1 weeks |
| Tankova 2005Single-arm or open-label | Diabetic patients with cranial mononeuropathy | 23 | Not named, 600 mg | 10 weeks |
| Weiss 2005Single-arm or open-label | Healthy young trained men | 10 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 1 weeks |
| Chen 2005Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | 10 | Not named | – |
| Alleva 2005RCT, placebo | Chronic wound patients on hyperbaric oxygen | – | Not named | – |
| Becker 2005RCT, active or other control | Children with kwashiorkor | – | Not named, 100 mg | 3 weeks |
| Sosa-Estani 2004RCT, placebo | Chagas disease patients on benznidazole | 249 | Not named, 100 mg | 4 weeks |
| Femiano 2004Non-randomised controlled | Burning mouth syndrome patients | 192 | Not named, 600 mg | 9 weeks |
| Tankova 2004RCT, active or other control | Type 1 diabetes with autonomic neuropathy | 75 | Thiogamma, 600 mg | 9 weeks |
| Hahm 2004Single-arm or open-label | Korean diabetic neuropathy patients | 61 | Thioctacid, 600 mg | 8 weeks |
| Kovrazhkina 2004RCT, active or other control | Alcohol polyneuropathy patients | 56 | Berlition, 300 mg | – |
| Femiano 2004Non-randomised controlled | Burning mouth syndrome patients | 40 | Not named | 9 weeks |
| Park 2004Single-arm or open-label | Healthy men with induced hypertriglyceridaemia and diabetics | 24 | Not named | – |
| Sharman 2004Crossover, placebo | Healthy older men | 16 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Bernkop-Schnürch 2004Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | 8 | Not named, 767 mg | – |
| Ametov 2003RCT, placebo | Diabetic polyneuropathy patients | 120 | Not named, 600 mg | 3 weeks |
| Mantovani 2003Non-randomised controlled | Advanced cancer patients | 56 | Not named | 1 weeks |
| Beitner 2003RCT, placebo | Women with facial photoageing | 33 | Not namedOn the skin | 12 weeks |
| Jedynasty 2003Other | Three diabetics with painful neuropathy | 3 | Not named | – |
| Gedlicka 2003Single-arm or open-label | Chemotherapy-induced polyneuropathy patients | – | Not named | – |
| Teichert 2003Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | – | Not named | – |
| Femiano 2002RCT, active or other control | Burning mouth syndrome patients | 80 | Not named | – |
| Femiano 2002RCT, placebo | Burning mouth syndrome patients | 60 | Not named | 9 weeks |
| Femiano 2002Non-randomised controlled | Patients with idiopathic dysgeusia | 44 | Not named | 9 weeks |
| Freudenthaler 2002RCT, placebo | Healthy male volunteers, hypoxia | 36 | Not named, 1,200 mg | – |
| Evans 2002Pharmacokinetic | Healthy subjects and type 2 diabetes patients | 33 | CRLA, 900 mg | 12 weeks |
| Odinak 2002Non-randomised controlled | Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients | 32 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Hummel 2002Single-arm or open-label | Post-viral smell loss patients | 23 | Not named, 600 mg | 20 weeks |
| Zueva 2002Single-arm or open-label | Chernobyl clean-up workers | 9 | Not named, 600 mg | 9 weeks |
| Gedlicka 2002Other | Oxaliplatin neuropathy patients | – | Not named | – |
| Morcos 2001Non-randomised controlled | Diabetic patients, nephropathy risk | 84 | Not named | 78 weeks |
| Heitzer 2001Other | Diabetic patients and controls | 50 | Not named | – |
| Hager 2001Single-arm or open-label | Alzheimer's dementia patients | 9 | Not named, 600 mg | 48 weeks |
| Kundiev 2001Other | People with high serum iron | – | Not named | – |
| Schupke 2001Pharmacokinetic | Humans and animals, single dose | – | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Dudchenko 2001Single-arm or open-label | Occupational patients with hyperferremia | – | Not named | – |
| Chukanova 2001Single-arm or open-label | Dyscirculatory encephalopathy patients | – | Thioctacid | – |
| Femiano 2000Non-randomised controlled | Burning mouth syndrome patients | 42 | Tiobec, 600 mg | 4 weeks |
| Androne 2000Single-arm or open-label | Diabetic neuropathy patients | 22 | Not named, 600 mg | 10 weeks |
| Haak 2000Non-randomised controlled | Diabetic neuropathy patients | 17 | Thioctacid, 1,200 mg | 6 weeks |
| Strokov 2000Single-arm or open-label | Type 1 diabetes with polyneuropathy | – | Not named | – |
| Ziegler 1999RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes with polyneuropathy | 509 | ALADIN III, 1,800 mg | 29 weeks |
| Jacob 1999RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes patients | 74 | Not named, 600 mg | 4 weeks |
| Strokov 1999RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes with neuropathy | 40 | Thioctacid 600, 600 mg | 3 weeks |
| Marangon 1999RCT, active or other control | Healthy adults | 31 | Not named, 600 mg | 17 weeks |
| Negrişanu 1999Single-arm or open-label | Type 2 diabetes with neuropathy | 26 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Gleiter 1999RCT, active or other control | Healthy volunteers | 24 | Thioctic acid, 600 mg | – |
| Ruhnau 1999RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes with polyneuropathy | 24 | Not named, 1,800 mg | 3 weeks |
| Konrad 1999Single-arm or open-label | Lean and obese type 2 diabetes patients | 20 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 4 weeks |
| Haak 1999Single-arm or open-label | Diabetic neuropathy patients | 10 | Thioctacid | – |
| Breithaupt-Grögler 1999Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | – | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Reljanovic 1999RCT, placebo | Diabetic polyneuropathy patients | – | ALADIN II, 1,200 mg | 104 weeks |
| Hermann 1998Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers and IDDM patients | 52 | Not named, 200 mg | – |
| 1998RCT, placebo | HIV-associated cognitive impairment patients | 36 | Not named | – |
| Teichert 1998Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | 12 | Thioctacid 200, 600 mg | – |
| Ziegler 1997RCT, placebo | Diabetic neuropathy patients | 328 | Not named, 600 mg | 3 weeks |
| Ziegler 1997RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes with cardiac autonomic neuropathy | 73 | DEKAN, 800 mg | 17 weeks |
| Jacob 1996Single-arm or open-label | Type 2 diabetes patients | 20 | Not named, 500 mg | 1 weeks |
| Gleiter 1996Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | – | Not named | – |
| Ziegler 1995RCT, placebo | Type 2 diabetes with neuropathy | 328 | ALADIN | 3 weeks |
| Filina 1995Non-randomised controlled | Open-angle glaucoma patients | 76 | Not named, 150 mg | – |
| Jacob 1995Non-randomised controlled | Type 2 diabetes patients | 13 | Not named, 1,000 mg | – |
| Barbiroli 1995Single-arm or open-label | Woman with mitochondrial cytopathy | 1 | Not named, 600 mg | 30 weeks |
| Fomichev 1993Non-randomised controlled | Coronary heart disease patients | 225 | Not named, 150 mg | – |
| Kähler 1993RCT, active or other control | Diabetic patients with late complications | 80 | Not named, 600 mg | 13 weeks |
| Filina 1993Non-randomised controlled | Open-angle glaucoma patients and controls | – | Not named | – |
| Fuchs 1993Single-arm or open-label | HIV-infected patients | – | Thioctacid | – |
| Bunin 1992Single-arm or open-label | Open-angle glaucoma patients | – | Not named | 8 weeks |
| Filina 1991Non-randomised controlled | Open-angle glaucoma patients | – | Not named | – |
| Loginov 1990Single-arm or open-label | Chronic liver disease patients | 130 | Not named | – |
| Yoshida 1990Other | Infant with enzyme deficiency | 1 | Not named | – |
| Loginov 1989Pharmacokinetic | Chronic liver disease patients | 125 | Thioctacid | – |
| Jörg 1988Non-randomised controlled | Diabetic polyneuropathy patients | – | Not named | – |
| Studt 1984Non-randomised controlled | Diabetics with peripheral neuropathy | 61 | Not named, 450 mg | 3 weeks |
| Vodoevich 1983Non-randomised controlled | Coronary heart disease and hypertension patients | 75 | Not named | – |
| Carpintero 1983Other | Chronic Chagas disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Marshall 1982RCT, placebo | Alcohol-related liver disease patients | 40 | Not named, 300 mg | 26 weeks |
| Huslarová 1982Other | Chronic liver disease patients | – | Thioctacid | – |
| Nassif 1982Other | Uremic polyneuropathy patients | – | Thioctacid | – |
| Kovalev 1981Other | Acne patients | – | Not named | – |
| Grigor'ian 1981Non-randomised controlled | Chronic ischemic heart disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Sachse 1980RCT, placebo | Diabetic neuropathy patients | 20 | Not named | 3 weeks |
| László 1980Other | Chronic active hepatitis patients | – | Not named | – |
| Obeid 1979Other | Liver disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Borets 1977Non-randomised controlled | Ischaemic and hypertensive heart disease patients | 293 | Not named, 75 mg | 1 weeks |
| Romanov 1977Other | Chronic liver disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Möller 1976Other | Chronic liver disease patients | 89 | Not named | – |
| Mikunis 1976Single-arm or open-label | Arteriosclerotic myocardiosclerosis patients | – | Not named | – |
| Pchelintsev 1976Non-randomised controlled | Ischemic heart disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Klein 1975Single-arm or open-label | Diabetic neuropathy patients | 100 | Thioctacid, 200 mg | – |
| Jezek 1975Single-arm or open-label | Liver disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Ciucci 1974Other | Amanita poisoning patients | – | Not named | – |
| Wirth 1974Other | Amanita poisoning patients | – | Not named | – |
| Kirk 1974Non-randomised controlled | Patients, not stated | – | Not named | – |
| Zulik 1973Other | Mushroom poisoning patients | – | Not named | – |
| Finestone 1972Other | Mushroom poisoning patients | – | Not named | – |
| Horváth 1972Other | Toadstool poisoning patients | – | Thioctacid | – |
| Lesnichiĭ 1972Other | Diabetes mellitus patients | – | Not named | – |
| Szamosi 1972Other | Mushroom poisoning patients | – | Thioctacid | – |
| Galamon 1971Other | Patients with histidine metabolism disturbance | – | Not named | – |
| Di Leo 1971Observational | Mushroom poisoning patients | – | Not named | – |
| Brinkmann 1971RCT, active or other control | Liver disease patients on glucocorticoids | – | Not named | – |
| Romanov 1971Single-arm or open-label | Chronic liver disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Zaffiri 1970Single-arm or open-label | Acute Amanita phalloides poisoning patients | – | Not named | – |
| Dabski 1970Single-arm or open-label | Amanita phalloides poisoning patients | – | Not named | – |
| Dabski 1970Single-arm or open-label | Chronic liver parenchyma disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Galamon 1970Other | Patients with histidine metabolism disorders | – | Not named | – |
| Gomes da Costa 1970Other | Wilson disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Zueva 1970Single-arm or open-label | Coronary arteriosclerosis patients | – | Not named | – |
| Kubicka 1969Observational | Fatal mushroom poisoning cases | – | Not named | – |
| Jiri 1968Single-arm or open-label | Amanita phalloides poisoning patients | – | Not named | – |
| Verzhkhovskaia 1968Single-arm or open-label | Botkin disease (hepatitis) patients | – | Not named | – |
| Sladki 1967Single-arm or open-label | Trigeminal neuralgia patients | – | Not named | – |
| Möller 1967Single-arm or open-label | Chronic liver disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Loginov 1967Single-arm or open-label | Chronic liver disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Boysen 1967Single-arm or open-label | Psychiatric ward patients | – | Not named | – |
| BALOGH 1964Single-arm or open-label | Photodermatosis patients | – | Not named | – |
| FUEST 1963Other | Patients, renal function tested | – | Not named | – |
| TAKENOUCHI 1963Single-arm or open-label | Dermatology patients | – | Not named | – |
| SLADKI 1963Single-arm or open-label | Diabetic polyneuropathy patients | – | Not named | – |
| CHOI 1963Other | Liver disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| da COSTA 1963RCT, active or other control | Patients with metal metabolism or aminoaciduria | – | Not named | – |
| MATTMANN 1963Single-arm or open-label | Multiple sclerosis patients | – | Not named | – |
| DA COSTA 1963Other | Patients, iron metabolism studied | – | Not named | – |
| BREUER 1962Other | Chronic liver disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| HAKAMADA 1962Single-arm or open-label | Arteriosclerosis patients | – | Not named | – |
| TAKENOUCHI 1962Pharmacokinetic | Patients with various skin diseases | – | Not named | – |
| SLADKI 1962Single-arm or open-label | Trigeminal neuralgia patients | – | Not named | – |
| OGAWA 1962Single-arm or open-label | Nerve deafness and tinnitus patients | – | Not named | – |
| AURICCHIO 1961RCT, active or other control | Newborns, physiological bilirubinemia | – | Not named | – |
| da COSTA 1961Other | Wilson disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| FLINN 1961Single-arm or open-label | Diabetic patients | – | Not named | – |
| SCHREIBER 1961Other | Liver cirrhosis patients | – | Not named | – |
| WADA 1961Pharmacokinetic | Humans, lipoic acid metabolism | – | Not named | – |
| da COSTA 1960Other | Hepatolenticular degeneration patients | – | Not named | – |
| da COSTA 1960Single-arm or open-label | Wilson's disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| CERASUOLO 1960Other | Lactating women, presumed | – | Not named | – |
| BUSINCO 1960Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| JULICH 1960Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| ALTSCHULE 1959Other | Chronic schizophrenia patients | – | Not named | – |
| COURY 1959Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| AURICCHIO 1959Other | Newborns with jaundice | – | Not named | – |
| VOLPI 1958Other | Normal subjects | – | Not named | – |
| ANGELUCCI 1958Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| KRITCHEVSKY 1958Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| BALSANO 1958Other | Acute viral hepatitis patients | – | Not named | – |
| BALSANO 1958Other | Normal subjects | – | Not named | – |
| CHIANCA 1958Other | Chronic pulmonary heart disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| MORGANO 1958Other | Normal subjects and liver disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| BRUSA 1958Other | Healthy children | – | Not named | – |
| SCHIROSA 1957Other | Patients with hyperglycaemic states | – | Not named | – |
| ROTH 1957Other | Hepatic coma patients | – | Not named | – |
| SAVONA 1957Other | Pregnant women | – | Not named | – |
| MORGANO 1957Other | Normal and nephropathic subjects | – | Not named | – |
| SAVONA 1957Other | Obstetric and gynaecological surgery patients | – | Not named | – |
| PERAZZO 1957Other | Liver patients after surgery | – | Not named | – |
| CONSOLO 1957Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| CONSOLO 1957Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| CONSOLO 1957Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| GIAMATTEI 1957Other | Schizophrenia patients | – | Not named | – |
| PATTERSON 1956Pharmacokinetic | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| DE MAESTRI 1956Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| BANSI 1956Other | Liver disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| PAGLIARO 1956Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| PAGLIARO 1956Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| FURITANO 1956Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| POMPONIO 1956Other | Children with infectious hepatitis | – | Not named | – |
| SCHIROSA 1956Other | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
| RAUSCH 1955Single-arm or open-label | Unclear | – | Not named | – |
Safety
What's known about safety
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In trials
A review of 71 placebo-controlled trials with 4,749 people found side effects no more common than on placebo. Trials used from 100 to 2,700 mg a day, most often 300 to 600 mg. Stomach upset, headache and skin rash were among those reported.
Fogacci 2020, review of 71 placebo-controlled trials; McMillan 2016, Cochrane review (burning mouth trials)
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In the UK
Alpha-lipoic acid is sold in the UK as a food supplement, and in some European countries it's a licensed medicine. We found no official UK upper limit. In 2021 the EU's food safety authority couldn't set a dose below which a rare reaction, described below, isn't expected.
EFSA scientific opinion on alpha-lipoic acid and insulin autoimmune syndrome, 2021 (citing the European Medicines Agency, 2015); searches of FSA and the EU Novel Food Catalogue, Oct 2026
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Check first
In rare cases it has triggered a reaction that causes low blood sugar, which settled once it was stopped; people with certain genes, more common in East Asia, are more at risk. It may lower blood sugar, so diabetes medicines or insulin may need adjusting. There's too little research to be sure it's safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor first if any of this applies to you.
EFSA scientific opinion, 2021, 49 case reports of insulin autoimmune syndrome; Fogacci 2020 review, on diabetes medicines
How we built this
Where these studies come from
We list every published study of alpha-lipoic acid in people, including thioctic acid, R-lipoic acid and medicines such as Thioctacid, by mouth or by drip. Two other substances also shortened to ALA, alpha-linolenic acid and aminolevulinic acid, are left out, as are lab-made compounds based on lipoic acid. Alpha-lipoic acid given with other actives counts as a blend. Many older studies, from the 1950s to the 1980s, have no summary online and are listed from their title. This first version is built from each study's summary; full-paper checks come next.
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We search
PubMed, the world's main library of medical research, for every paper on L-theanine.
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We keep studies in people
Lab and animal work is counted but left out of the list, because it doesn't tell you what happens in people.
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We note the basics
Who took part, how many, how much and for how long, from each study's published summary. A second check corrects what the first read gets wrong.
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We read them in full
Results appear once we've read the whole paper and checked every number. The date at the top shows when this entry was last updated.
Download the study list
Every study in people as a spreadsheet, 467 rows, free to reuse with a link back.
Versions
Each update to the data gets a new version number, so you can tell what changed and when.
See every version
1.0 · 24 Oct 2026. First release. Every published study giving alpha-lipoic acid on its own to people is listed from its summary. None is read in full yet.
