ISSN:
1553-3840
Source:
Berkeley Electronic Press Academic Journals
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the developed world. With the emergence of herbal preparations, the number of people using these products to improve their health is growing. The purpose of this study is to investigate a product that contains a number of ingredients that singly have been shown to lower lipids.A commercial combination herbal extract containing phytosterols, fiber, and other plant extracts with lipid-lowering properties was investigated using a double blind placebo-controlled clinical study. There were two active phases and one placebo phase, each two months in length. Two groups of subjects were studied; one group was taking statin drugs and the other was not taking any cholesterol-lowering drugs but had high cholesterol. Safety was investigated with a battery of tests including blood chemistry, coagulation, hematology, blood pressure and weight. Efficacy for heart disease risk factors were evaluated and included lipids, homocysteine, and C-reactive protein. Glucose was also measured. There were no significant side effects with the active supplement and no changes in liver enzymes indicating a lack of toxicity. The product (11 g) taken daily and compared to placebo significantly lowered cholesterol, LDL and the risk ratio, and glucose only in the group not taking statins. There was no significant change vs. the placebo for two other heart disease risk factors, homocysteine and high sensitivity C-reactive protein. After combining both subject groups, the product lowered total cholesterol 4.8% (p 〈 0.001), decreased LDL 8.3% (p 〈 0.001) and lowered the cholesterol/HDL (heart disease risk ratio) 9.4% (p 〈 0.001). Triglycerides were also improved and declined 11.6%, but the change was not significant. Glucose was also significantly decreased 4.8% (p 〈 0.001). The product with low doses of herbal ingredients was shown to be safe and effective for improving the lipid profile and thus decreasing the risk of heart disease. An additional benefit was that glucose was lowered by the supplement.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://www.bepress.com/jcim/vol4/iss1/4
