Quick Search:       Advanced Search
Chinese Version 
Online office
Journal Online
Download
Top
Links

扫描微信二维码,获取更多信息
No Additional Cholesterol-Lowering Effect Observed in the Combined Treatment of Red Yeast Rice and Lactobacillus Casei in Hyperlipidemic Patients: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
  
View Full Text  View/Add Comment  Download reader
KeyWord:red yeast rice, Lactobacillus casei, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, randomized controlled trial
Author NameAffiliationE-mail
Chien-Ying Lee, Min-Chien Yu, Wu-Tsun Perng   
Hung-Che Shih 1. Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (40201), China
2. Department of Pharmacy, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan (40201), China
3. Department of Pharmacology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (40201), China
 
shj525@csmu.edu.tw 
Hits: 1218
Download times: 0
Abstract:
      Objective: To observe the effect of combining red yeast rice and Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) in lowering cholesterol in patients with primary hyperlipidemia, the later has also been shown to remove cholesterol in in vitro studies. Methods: A double-blind clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the cholesterol-lowering effect of the combination of red yeast rice and L. casei. Sixty patients with primary hyperlipidemia were recruited and randomized equally to either the treatment group (red yeast rice + L. casei) or the control group (red yeast rice + placebo). One red yeast rice capsule and two L. casei capsules were taken twice a day. The treatment lasted for 8 weeks, with an extended follow-up period of 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was a difference of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level at week 8. Results: At week 8, the LDL-C serum level in both groups was lower than that at baseline, with a decrease of 33.85±26.66 mg/dL in the treatment group and 38.11±30.90 mg/dL in the control group; however, there was no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The total cholesterol was also lower than the baseline in both groups, yet without a statistical difference between the two groups. The only statistically significant difference between the two groups was the average diastolic pressure at week 12, which dropped by 2.67 mm Hg in the treatment group and increased by 4.43 mm Hg in the placebo group (P<0.05). The antihypertensive activity may be associated with L. casei. Red yeast rice can significantly reduce LDL-C, total cholesterol and triglyceride. Conclusion: The combination of red yeast rice and L. casei did not have an additional effect on lipid profiles.
Close