Effect of Branched-chain Amino Acids (BCAA) to Muscle Cramps in Patients With Cirrhosis
NCT ID: NCT05724485
Last Updated: 2024-02-09
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.
COMPLETED
PHASE4
48 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2023-04-01
2023-12-31
Brief Summary
Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.
* Compared the effect of BCAA versus placebo on muscle cramp frequency in cirrhotic patients
* Compared the effect of BCAA versus placebo on muscle cramp duration and severity in cirrhotic patients
* Compared the effect of BCAA versus placebo on quality of life in cirrhotic patients with muscle cramps Participants with cirrhosis who have experienced muscle cramps at least once per week will be randomized to receive either a placebo or 12.45 grams of BCAA orally per day for 12 weeks.
Related Clinical Trials
Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.
Effect of Branched-chain Amino Acid Supplementation and Exercise on Muscle Quantity and Quality in Cirrhosis
NCT06088550
Baclofen in the Treatment of Muscle Cramps in Patients With Cirrhosis
NCT02221570
Oral Branched-chain Amino Acid Supplementation for Decompensated Cirrhotic Patients
NCT06121479
TIPS With or Without BCAA
NCT07281846
Branched Chain Aminoacid Supplementation in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis
NCT02023229
Detailed Description
Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.
Many drugs, vitamins, and minerals were studied for treating cramps in cirrhosis in previous studies but no clinical improvement, good randomized control studies, or side effects.
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) had been developed to correct this amino acid imbalance and helped to decrease the frequency of cramps and improve the quality of life in cirrhotic patients from previous studies but there were no control groups and a small number of patients were included. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BCAA for controlling muscle cramps in cirrhotic patients.
Conditions
See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.
Study Design
Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.
RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
QUADRUPLE
Study Groups
Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.
BCAA group
12.45 grams of branched-chain amino acids orally per day before bedtime for 12 weeks.
Branched-chain Amino Acid
12.45 grams of BCAA orally per day before bedtime
Placebo group
12.45 grams of placebo (Maltodextrin) orally per day before bedtime for 12 weeks.
Placebo
12.45 grams of Maltodextrin orally per day before bedtime
Interventions
Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.
Branched-chain Amino Acid
12.45 grams of BCAA orally per day before bedtime
Placebo
12.45 grams of Maltodextrin orally per day before bedtime
Other Intervention Names
Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.
Eligibility Criteria
Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.
Inclusion Criteria
* Muscle cramp ≥ 1 time per week
* Confirmed cirrhotic status (radiologic finding compatible with cirrhosis or liver stiffness measurement ≥ 12.5 kPa by transient elastography method or pathological confirm of cirrhosis)
Exclusion Criteria
* Overt hepatic encephalopathy
* Hepatorenal syndrome
* Severe renal insufficiency; eGFR \< 30
* Heart failure
* Peripheral arterial disease
* Active malignancies beyond hepatocellular carcinoma
* Heavy alcohol drinking (\> 21g/day for men and \>14g/day for women)
* Pregnancy or lactation
* Current use of BCAA within 3 months
* Recent adding or titrating diuretics within 4 weeks
* On current medications for muscle cramp relief such as vitamin E, taurine, carnitine, narcotic pain medications, baclofen, methocarbamol, other muscle relaxers, NSAIDs, or other antispastic agents.
18 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.
Mahidol University
OTHER
Responsible Party
Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.
Watcharasak Chotiyaputta
Associate professor, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital
Principal Investigators
Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.
Siwaporn Chainuvati, Asso Prof
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
66643249159
Locations
Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.
Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University
Bangkok Noi, Bangkok, Thailand
Countries
Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.
References
Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.
Chatrath H, Liangpunsakul S, Ghabril M, Otte J, Chalasani N, Vuppalanchi R. Prevalence and morbidity associated with muscle cramps in patients with cirrhosis. Am J Med. 2012 Oct;125(10):1019-25. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2012.03.012. Epub 2012 Jul 24.
Mehta SS, Fallon MB. Muscle cramps in liver disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Nov;11(11):1385-91; quiz e80. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2013.03.017. Epub 2013 Mar 28.
Soeters PB, Fischer JE. Insulin, glucagon, aminoacid imbalance, and hepatic encephalopathy. Lancet. 1976 Oct 23;2(7991):880-2. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)90541-9.
Vidot H, Carey S, Allman-Farinelli M, Shackel N. Systematic review: the treatment of muscle cramps in patients with cirrhosis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Aug;40(3):221-32. doi: 10.1111/apt.12827. Epub 2014 Jun 18.
Sako K, Imamura Y, Nishimata H, Tahara K, Kubozono O, Tsubouchi H. Branched-chain amino acids supplements in the late evening decrease the frequency of muscle cramps with advanced hepatic cirrhosis. Hepatol Res. 2003 Aug;26(4):327-329. doi: 10.1016/s1386-6346(03)00152-9.
Hidaka H, Nakazawa T, Kutsukake S, Yamazaki Y, Aoki I, Nakano S, Asaba N, Minamino T, Takada J, Tanaka Y, Okuwaki Y, Watanabe M, Shibuya A, Koizumi W. The efficacy of nocturnal administration of branched-chain amino acid granules to improve quality of life in patients with cirrhosis. J Gastroenterol. 2013 Feb;48(2):269-76. doi: 10.1007/s00535-012-0632-x. Epub 2012 Jul 24.
Sobhonslidsuk A, Silpakit C, Kongsakon R, Satitpornkul P, Sripetch C. Chronic liver disease questionnaire: translation and validation in Thais. World J Gastroenterol. 2004 Jul 1;10(13):1954-7. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i13.1954.
Arguedas MR, DeLawrence TG, McGuire BM. Influence of hepatic encephalopathy on health-related quality of life in patients with cirrhosis. Dig Dis Sci. 2003 Aug;48(8):1622-6. doi: 10.1023/a:1024784327783.
Younossi ZM, Guyatt G, Kiwi M, Boparai N, King D. Development of a disease specific questionnaire to measure health related quality of life in patients with chronic liver disease. Gut. 1999 Aug;45(2):295-300. doi: 10.1136/gut.45.2.295.
Kawaguchi T, Izumi N, Charlton MR, Sata M. Branched-chain amino acids as pharmacological nutrients in chronic liver disease. Hepatology. 2011 Sep 2;54(3):1063-70. doi: 10.1002/hep.24412. Epub 2011 Jun 23.
Abd-Elsalam S, Arafa M, Elkadeem M, Elfert A, Soliman S, Elkhalawany W, Badawi R. Randomized-controlled trial of methocarbamol as a novel treatment for muscle cramps in cirrhotic patients. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019 Apr;31(4):499-502. doi: 10.1097/MEG.0000000000001310.
Elfert AA, Abo Ali L, Soliman S, Zakaria S, Shehab El-Din I, Elkhalawany W, Abd-Elsalam S. Randomized placebo-controlled study of baclofen in the treatment of muscle cramps in patients with liver cirrhosis. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2016 Nov;28(11):1280-4. doi: 10.1097/MEG.0000000000000714.
Nakaya Y, Okita K, Suzuki K, Moriwaki H, Kato A, Miwa Y, Shiraishi K, Okuda H, Onji M, Kanazawa H, Tsubouchi H, Kato S, Kaito M, Watanabe A, Habu D, Ito S, Ishikawa T, Kawamura N, Arakawa Y; Hepatic Nutritional Therapy (HNT) Study Group. BCAA-enriched snack improves nutritional state of cirrhosis. Nutrition. 2007 Feb;23(2):113-20. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2006.10.008.
Marchesini G, Bianchi G, Merli M, Amodio P, Panella C, Loguercio C, Rossi Fanelli F, Abbiati R; Italian BCAA Study Group. Nutritional supplementation with branched-chain amino acids in advanced cirrhosis: a double-blind, randomized trial. Gastroenterology. 2003 Jun;124(7):1792-801. doi: 10.1016/s0016-5085(03)00323-8.
Muto Y, Sato S, Watanabe A, Moriwaki H, Suzuki K, Kato A, Kato M, Nakamura T, Higuchi K, Nishiguchi S, Kumada H; Long-Term Survival Study Group. Effects of oral branched-chain amino acid granules on event-free survival in patients with liver cirrhosis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2005 Jul;3(7):705-13. doi: 10.1016/s1542-3565(05)00017-0.
Angeli P, Albino G, Carraro P, Dalla Pria M, Merkel C, Caregaro L, De Bei E, Bortoluzzi A, Plebani M, Gatta A. Cirrhosis and muscle cramps: evidence of a causal relationship. Hepatology. 1996 Feb;23(2):264-73. doi: 10.1002/hep.510230211.
Marchesini G, Bianchi G, Amodio P, Salerno F, Merli M, Panella C, Loguercio C, Apolone G, Niero M, Abbiati R; Italian Study Group for quality of life in cirrhosis. Factors associated with poor health-related quality of life of patients with cirrhosis. Gastroenterology. 2001 Jan;120(1):170-8. doi: 10.1053/gast.2001.21193.
Ng K, Lin CS, Murray NM, Burroughs AK, Bostock H. Conduction and excitability properties of peripheral nerves in end-stage liver disease. Muscle Nerve. 2007 Jun;35(6):730-8. doi: 10.1002/mus.20765.
Gluud LL, Dam G, Les I, Marchesini G, Borre M, Aagaard NK, Vilstrup H. Branched-chain amino acids for people with hepatic encephalopathy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 May 18;5(5):CD001939. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001939.pub4.
Ko CH, Wu SJ, Wang ST, Chang YF, Chang CS, Kuan TS, Chuang HY, Chang CM, Chou W, Wu CH. Effects of enriched branched-chain amino acid supplementation on sarcopenia. Aging (Albany NY). 2020 Jul 26;12(14):15091-15103. doi: 10.18632/aging.103576. Epub 2020 Jul 26.
Sawada Y, Shiraki M, Iwasa M, Hiraoka A, Nakanishi H, Karino Y, Nakajima T, Miyaaki H, Kawaguchi T, Yoshiji H, Okita K, Koike K. The effects of diuretic use and the presence of ascites on muscle cramps in patients with cirrhosis: a nationwide study. J Gastroenterol. 2020 Sep;55(9):868-876. doi: 10.1007/s00535-020-01694-8. Epub 2020 Jun 12.
European Association for the Study of the Liver. EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of patients with decompensated cirrhosis. J Hepatol. 2018 Aug;69(2):406-460. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.03.024. Epub 2018 Apr 10. No abstract available.
Angeli P, Fasolato S, Mazza E, Okolicsanyi L, Maresio G, Velo E, Galioto A, Salinas F, D'Aquino M, Sticca A, Gatta A. Combined versus sequential diuretic treatment of ascites in non-azotaemic patients with cirrhosis: results of an open randomised clinical trial. Gut. 2010 Jan;59(1):98-104. doi: 10.1136/gut.2008.176495.
Other Identifiers
Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.
Si 1071/2020
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
More Related Trials
Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.