Carnosine Treatment for Gulf War Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomised controlled trialHumans
- Design
- Randomised controlled trial
- Subjects
- 25 Gulf War illness subjects
- Dose used in the study
- 500 mg, then 1000 mg, then 1500 mg carnosine per day, increased every 4 weeks
- Duration
- 12 weeks (randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose escalation)
- What was measured
- Fatigue, pain and psychosocial questionnaires, actigraphy (activity and fatigue), and the WAIS-R digit symbol substitution test of cognitive function.
What the authors reported
WAIS-R digit symbol scores rose significantly in the carnosine group. Diarrhoea linked to irritable bowel syndrome decreased. Fatigue, hyperalgesia, activity and other outcomes did not change. The authors said 12 weeks of carnosine at 1500 mg may have a cognitive effect in this condition.
Limits of this study
Small trial (25 participants). Dose escalation design, so each dose was given for only 4 weeks. Most outcomes negative. Effect sizes and p-values not given in the abstract. Full text not read.
Source
PubMed 23618477 · doi:10.5539/gjhs.v5n3p69
Entry checked against PubMed abstract (E-utilities) on 2026-10-19. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.