Patent ID: 8735443

Claim:
A method for determining efficacy of an alpha-lipoic acid treatment for treating a subject suspected of suffering from diabetes-related vascular complications, the method comprising the steps of: determining a level of at least one biomarker selected from the group consisting of inflammatory biomarkers and apoptotic biomarkers in at least one sample obtained from the subject following administration of the alpha-lipoic acid, wherein an initial dosage rate thereof is between approximately 100 mg and approximately 300 mg per day, wherein the at least one biomarker is selected from the group consisting of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, MCAP-1, NF-κB, caspase 3, caspase 7, pg-91 phox , Nox-1, ICAM-1, PI3K, and Akt; and comparing the level of the at least one biomarker in the at least one sample obtained from the subject with a known standard level of the inflammatory or apoptotic biomarker associated with diabetes-related vascular complications; wherein a lower level of the at least one biomarker in the at least one sample from the subject relative to the known standard level of the at least one biomarker indicates that the alpha-lipoic acid treatment is efficacious for the treatment of diabetes-related vascular complications in the subject.