Effect of L-Arginine on Health Promotion of Tuberculosis Patients

Background and Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) is the main cause of morbidity in many regions and understanding its effect on quality of life and health condition is important for patient care and improving their quality of life. To this end, this study was set to investigate the effect of adjuvant L-arginine treatment on improving the health status of TB patients. Materials and Methods: This double blind clinical trial comprised 68 tuberculosis patients who were randomly assigned to two groups. The intervention group received standard treatment regimen for 6 months plus L-arginine (2 grams per day for 30 days), while the control group received a 6-month standard treatment regimen plus placebo. Demographic data and GHQ-28 questionnaire were employed as data gathering instruments. Data were analyzed by SPSS software and p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: 63 Out of 68 patients’ data were analyzed. Demographic variables in the intervention and control groups were not significantly different. The mean score at the beginning of the treatment in the intervention group was 28.3 ± 9.2 and in the control group was 27.8 ± 8.7, respectively (P = 0.825). Following the intervention, the mean of the two groups was significant (P = 0.006). In the meantime, the subscales of somatic symptoms (P = 0.001), anxiety (P = 0.023) and depression (P = 0.026) were significantly different between the groups. Conclusion: This study illustrates that the use of L-arginine in the treatment of TB patients may improve their health in addition to their quality of life.