Effect of Zingiber officinale on Lipid Profile and Some Inflammatory Markers in Diabetic Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Background. Diabetes, inflammation, and abnormal lipid levels are the main risk factors for mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The present study aimed to investigate the effects of ginger supplementation on inflammatory markers and lipid profile in diabetic patients with ESRD undergoing hemodialysis. Methods. In this study, 44 patients were randomly assigned to either the ginger or the placebo group. The patients in the ginger group received 2000 mg/d ginger for eight weeks, while the control group received the placebo with the same protocol. The serum concentrations of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), albumin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured after a 12- to 14-hours fast at the baseline and the end of the study, as along with the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and Glasgow prognostic score (GPS). Results. Forty-one subjects were analyzed based on the intention-to-treat method of all included patients. Serum levels of TG (p=0.003), hs-CRP (p=0.022), and NLR (p=0.001) decreased significantly in the ginger group compared to the placebo group, while albumin concentration in serum was elevated (p=0.022). However, there were no significant differences in GPS, levels of TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and PLR within and between the groups (p>0.05). Conclusion. Ginger administration reduced NLR, hs-CRP, and TG serum levels and increased serum albumin levels in included patients. Thus, ginger can be considered an effective complementary treatment for these patients. This trail is registered with IRCT20191109045382N3.