Ravi R Kasliwal1, Manish Bansal2, Rajeev Gupta3, Siddharth Shah4, Sameer Dani5, Abraham Oomman6, Vikas Pai7, Guru Mallapa Prasad8, Sunil Singhvi9, Jitendra Patel10, Sakthivel Sivam11, Naresh Trehan2. 1. Medanta - The Medicity, Gurgaon, Delhi NCR, India. Electronic address: rrkasliwal@hotmail.com. 2. Medanta - The Medicity, Gurgaon, Delhi NCR, India. 3. Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. 4. Bhatia Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. 5. Lifecare Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. 6. Ramana Maharishi Rangammal Hospital, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. 7. Pai Research Center, Pune, Maharashtra, India. 8. Pace Research Center, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. 9. Singhvi Health Center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. 10. Pruthvi Heart Center, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. 11. I5 Clinical Research Pvt. Ltd, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Evidence suggests prolonged exposure to lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), starting at a younger age, substantially lowers cardiovascular (CV) risk. Accordingly, the CV pandemic affecting younger population in low- to low-middle-income countries, where statin usage is poor even in secondary prevention, may benefit from lipid-lowering nutritional products, as nutritional intervention is generally preferred in these cultures. However, the safety and efficacy of such preparations have not been systematically tested. METHODS: In this multicenter, double-blind study, 191 statin-free subjects with newly-diagnosed hyperlipidemia (LDL-C >120 mg/dL, 3.11 mmol/L) and no evidence of CV disease were randomized to one capsule of a proprietary bioactive phytonutrient formulation containing red yeast rice, grape-seed, niacinamide, and folic acid (RYR-NS) or matched placebo twice daily, along with lifestyle modification, for 12 wk. RESULTS:Mean baseline LDL-C levels were 148.5 ± 24.0 mg/dL (3.85 ± 0.62 mmol/L) and 148.6 ± 21.9 mg/dL (3.85 ± 0.57 mmol/L) in the RYR-NS and placebo groups respectively. Compared with placebo, RYR-NS resulted in a significant reduction in LDL-C (-29.4% versus -3.5%, P < 0.0001) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C; -29.8% versus -10.3%, P < 0.0001) at 12 wk. With RYR-NS, 43.4% individuals attained desirable LDL-C levels and 55.4% desirable non-HDL-C levels by week 12, compared to only 0% and 1.1%, respectively, at baseline. No safety issues were observed. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of RYR-NS in lowering LDL-C and non-HDL-C after 12 wk, with magnitude of LDL-C reduction being comparable to that seen with moderate-intensity statin therapy. Further long-term studies are required to determine the impact of RYR-NS on treatment adherence and clinical outcomes.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: Evidence suggests prolonged exposure to lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), starting at a younger age, substantially lowers cardiovascular (CV) risk. Accordingly, the CV pandemic affecting younger population in low- to low-middle-income countries, where statin usage is poor even in secondary prevention, may benefit from lipid-lowering nutritional products, as nutritional intervention is generally preferred in these cultures. However, the safety and efficacy of such preparations have not been systematically tested. METHODS: In this multicenter, double-blind study, 191 statin-free subjects with newly-diagnosed hyperlipidemia (LDL-C >120 mg/dL, 3.11 mmol/L) and no evidence of CV disease were randomized to one capsule of a proprietary bioactive phytonutrient formulation containing red yeastrice, grape-seed, niacinamide, and folic acid (RYR-NS) or matched placebo twice daily, along with lifestyle modification, for 12 wk. RESULTS: Mean baseline LDL-C levels were 148.5 ± 24.0 mg/dL (3.85 ± 0.62 mmol/L) and 148.6 ± 21.9 mg/dL (3.85 ± 0.57 mmol/L) in the RYR-NS and placebo groups respectively. Compared with placebo, RYR-NS resulted in a significant reduction in LDL-C (-29.4% versus -3.5%, P < 0.0001) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C; -29.8% versus -10.3%, P < 0.0001) at 12 wk. With RYR-NS, 43.4% individuals attained desirable LDL-C levels and 55.4% desirable non-HDL-C levels by week 12, compared to only 0% and 1.1%, respectively, at baseline. No safety issues were observed. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of RYR-NS in lowering LDL-C and non-HDL-C after 12 wk, with magnitude of LDL-C reduction being comparable to that seen with moderate-intensity statin therapy. Further long-term studies are required to determine the impact of RYR-NS on treatment adherence and clinical outcomes.