11.01.06
Indication: High cholesterol
Source: J Am Diet Assoc, October 2006;106(10):1564-9.
Research:
Plant stanols have been recommended in combination with individualized dietary interventions to reduce plasma cholesterol concentrations. However, researchers believe it is unclear whether plant stanols in combination with dietary guidance in patients already using optimal doses of statins will further reduce fasting and postprandial lipids compared with standard care. Researchers wanted to investigate this further so they recruited 20 subjects to conduct a single-blind, randomized study to assess the effect of plant stanols in margarines, combined with a lipid-lowering dietary intervention, in patients already on lipid-lowering medications at maximal doses not reaching their target lipid levels. Nutrition education was based on the stages of change theory. The control group (which served as the standard care control group) was also taking optimal doses of statins. This group received a margarine without plant stanols and a leaflet with Dutch nutrition guidelines. Fasting lipids were measured once in venous samples and postprandial lipemia was assessed by self-measured triglycerides in an outpatient setting. All subjects were given a capillary triglyceride measuring device and were instructed to measure their capillary triglycerides at six fixed time points throughout the day on three different days.
Results:
In the plant stanol group, LDL cholesterol decreased significantly by over 15%, compared with a reduction of only 7% in the control group. The daylong triglyceridemia was similar in both groups at the beginning and at the end of the study, and no change was observed by the intervention.
Source: J Am Diet Assoc, October 2006;106(10):1564-9.
Research:
Plant stanols have been recommended in combination with individualized dietary interventions to reduce plasma cholesterol concentrations. However, researchers believe it is unclear whether plant stanols in combination with dietary guidance in patients already using optimal doses of statins will further reduce fasting and postprandial lipids compared with standard care. Researchers wanted to investigate this further so they recruited 20 subjects to conduct a single-blind, randomized study to assess the effect of plant stanols in margarines, combined with a lipid-lowering dietary intervention, in patients already on lipid-lowering medications at maximal doses not reaching their target lipid levels. Nutrition education was based on the stages of change theory. The control group (which served as the standard care control group) was also taking optimal doses of statins. This group received a margarine without plant stanols and a leaflet with Dutch nutrition guidelines. Fasting lipids were measured once in venous samples and postprandial lipemia was assessed by self-measured triglycerides in an outpatient setting. All subjects were given a capillary triglyceride measuring device and were instructed to measure their capillary triglycerides at six fixed time points throughout the day on three different days.
Results:
In the plant stanol group, LDL cholesterol decreased significantly by over 15%, compared with a reduction of only 7% in the control group. The daylong triglyceridemia was similar in both groups at the beginning and at the end of the study, and no change was observed by the intervention.