09.01.03
Indication: Cholesterol-lowering
Source: JAMA, July 23, 2003;290(4):
502-10.
Research: A randomized, controlled trial was conducted on 46 healthy, hyperlipidemic adults (25 men and 21 postmenopausal women) with a mean age of 59 years. Participants were randomly assigned to undergo one of three interventions on an outpatient basis for one month: a diet very low in saturated fat, based on milled whole-wheat cereals and low-fat dairy foods; the same diet plus lovastatin or a diet high in plant sterols, soy protein, viscous fibers and almonds. Lipid and C-reactive protein levels were obtained from fasting blood samples and blood pressure and body weight were measured at weeks 0, 2 and 4 and compared among the three treatment groups.
Results: The control, statin and dietary portfolio groups had mean decreases in LDL cholesterol of 8%, 31% and 29%, respectively. Respective reductions in C-reactive protein were 10%, 33% and 28%. The significant reductions in the statin and dietary portfolio groups were all significantly different from changes in the control group. There were no significant differences in efficacy between the statin and dietary portfolio treatments. In this study, diversifying cholesterol-lowering components in the same dietary portfolio increased the effectiveness of diet as a treatment of hypercholesterolemia.
Source: JAMA, July 23, 2003;290(4):
502-10.
Research: A randomized, controlled trial was conducted on 46 healthy, hyperlipidemic adults (25 men and 21 postmenopausal women) with a mean age of 59 years. Participants were randomly assigned to undergo one of three interventions on an outpatient basis for one month: a diet very low in saturated fat, based on milled whole-wheat cereals and low-fat dairy foods; the same diet plus lovastatin or a diet high in plant sterols, soy protein, viscous fibers and almonds. Lipid and C-reactive protein levels were obtained from fasting blood samples and blood pressure and body weight were measured at weeks 0, 2 and 4 and compared among the three treatment groups.
Results: The control, statin and dietary portfolio groups had mean decreases in LDL cholesterol of 8%, 31% and 29%, respectively. Respective reductions in C-reactive protein were 10%, 33% and 28%. The significant reductions in the statin and dietary portfolio groups were all significantly different from changes in the control group. There were no significant differences in efficacy between the statin and dietary portfolio treatments. In this study, diversifying cholesterol-lowering components in the same dietary portfolio increased the effectiveness of diet as a treatment of hypercholesterolemia.