Oral alpha lipoic acid for symptomatic diabetic neuropathy (SYDNEY 2)
The question: Can alpha lipoic acid ease neuropathy symptoms?
- Study type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Participants
- 181
- Population
- Adults with diabetes and symptomatic polyneuropathy, Russia and Israel
- Intervention
- Alpha lipoic acid 600, 1200 or 1800 mg once daily
- Compared with
- Placebo
- Duration
- 5 weeks
- Published
- Diabetes Care, 2006
What was measured
Change in the Total Symptom Score for pain, burning, numbness and pins and needles.
What was found
Symptom scores fell by about 51 per cent at 600 mg compared with 32 per cent on placebo. Higher doses were no more effective and caused more nausea and dizziness.
Limitations
Short, symptom-focused and not designed to show whether nerves themselves recover.
What it means
Supports short-term symptom relief at 600 mg a day, the dose with the best balance of benefit and tolerability.
Source
Ziegler D, Ametov A, Barinov A, et al. Oral treatment with alpha-lipoic acid improves symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy: the SYDNEY 2 trial. Diabetes Care. 2006;29(11):2365-2370.
Read the original (DOI 10.2337/dc06-1216) · Source verified 8 October 2026
Connected
Study summaries describe published research for education. They are not claims about any product and are not medical advice.