Comparison of the Therapeutic Effect of Erythropoietin Alone and with the Combination of L-Carnitine on Hemoglobin Levels in Hemodialysis Patients

Background: l-carnitine deficiency causes various pathological conditions such as muscle weakness and erythropoietin-resistant anemia in hemodialysis patients. the present study was conducted to compare the therapeutic effect of erythropoietin alone and with the combination of l-carnitine on anemia in hemodialysis patients method: in this clinical trial, 24 patients undergoing hemodialysis at imam ali hospital were selected for the study. the eligible participants were randomly assigned into two equal groups: one group received erythropoietin treatment alone, while the other group was treated with a combination of l-carnitine and erythropoietin. blood samples were collected from all patients for a complete blood count (cbc), and their hemoglobin levels were measured both before and after the treatment. results: the mean age of patients in the erythropoietin-only treatment group was 18.66±3.70 years, while in the group receiving both erythropoietin and l-carnitine, it was 23.83±5.70 years. a significant difference in age was found between the two groups (p=0.015). however, there was no significant difference in hemoglobin levels between the groups before treatment (p=0.327). after treatment, the mean hemoglobin levels in the erythropoietin group and the combination therapy group were 9.8±1.6 and 10.6±3.9 g/dl, respectively, with no significant difference observed between the two groups in terms of hemoglobin (p=0.324). conclusion: our findings indicated that treatment with erythropoietin alone, as well as in combination with l-carnitine, did not lead to a significant improvement in blood parameters in hemodialysis patients with anemia.