Antihyperlipidaemic effect of a Monascus purpureus brand dietary supplement on a large sample of subjects at low risk for cardiovascular disease: A pilot study

42Citations
Citations of this article
42Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.
Get full text

Abstract

Objectives: We planned to carry out a pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and safety as an antihypercholesterolemic agent of a brand dietary supplement made of Monascus purpureus titrated extract, octacosanols and niacin on 111 Caucasian patients with low cardiovascular disease risk (<20% by Framingham algorithms), comparing them with the antihypercholesterolemic effect of a low dosage of Pravastatin on 20 subjects with similar risk profile. Results: In our study, the tested dietary supplement determined a significant decrease of Total Cholesterol (TC), Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C), and Triglycerides (TG) in moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects without clinically relevant change in liver and muscular toxicity markers. The reduction of LDL-C reached the 20%, and it is similar to that obtained with a well-known effective statin like Pravastatin. Conclusions: Further long-term and double blind evaluation have to be carried out before to infer the observed results, however it appears that the studied dietary supplements could be a safe and efficacious antihypercholesterolemic agent for patients at low risk for cardiovascular diseases. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Cicero, A. F. G., Brancaleoni, M., Laghi, L., Donati, F., & Mino, M. (2005). Antihyperlipidaemic effect of a Monascus purpureus brand dietary supplement on a large sample of subjects at low risk for cardiovascular disease: A pilot study. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 13(4), 273–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2005.07.008

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free