Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Previous investigations have demonstrated that curcumin has a cardioprotective effect and may improve myocardial injury. So this study was performed to assess whether supplementation with curcumin could diminish myocardial injury following AMI.
Methods: To conduct this randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trial, seventy-two patients with acute myocardial infarction, aged 18-75 years, were enrolled and randomly divided into the active intervention and control groups. The active intervention group (n = 38) received curcumin capsules with piperine supplement (500 mg/day, 95% curcuminoids) for 8 weeks, whereas the control group (n = 34) received a placebo capsule. At the baseline and end of the study, ejection fraction was assessed, and blood samples were taken from all patients to measure the levels of cardiac troponin I(cTnI), lipid profile, FBG, HbA1C, liver enzymes, renal function parameters, and electrolytes.
Results: In this trial, curcumin supplementation significantly reduced the levels of HbA1C (-0.3 ± 2.2 vs. +1.1 ± 1.3, P = 0.002), LDL (-10.3 ± 20.7 vs. +0.2 ± 22.5, P = 0.039), ALT (-10.2 ± 28.5 vs. +7.3 ± 39.2, P = 0.029), and ALP (+6.4 ± 39.5 vs. +38.0 ± 69.0, P = 0.018) compared to the placebo group. Moreover, the serum concentration of HDL significantly improved in comparison with the placebo group (+4.5 ± 8.9 vs. -1.6 ± 7.7, P = 0.002). However, no substantial difference was perceived between the groups regarding the ejection fraction and serum levels of cTnI, FBG, renal function parameters, and electrolytes.
Conclusion: Our results indicated that daily intake of 500 mg of curcumin capsules with piperine supplement for 8 weeks modified lipid profile, liver enzymes, and glycemic status, but did not have any effect on ejection fraction and serum concentration of cardiac troponin I, renal function parameters, and electrolytes in acute myocardial infarction patients.
Keywords: Cardiac troponin I; Curcumin; HbA1C, piperine; Lipid profile; Myocardial infarction; cTnI, ejection fraction.
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.