Patients with Hyperlipidemia

Mark Houston, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Director Hypertension Institute, St. Thomas West Hospital, Nashville TN

William Sparks, BSc, CN, Vice President, Biotics Research Corporation, Rosenburg, TX

ABSTRACT

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the number one cause of mortality and morbidity in Western civilization.

Objective: We assessed the effects of a two-month program using a combination of nutraceutical agents known to improve lipid profiles in hyperlipidemic individuals.

Design: In an open-label thirty participants study, hyperlipidemic patients consumed a nutraceutical combination of a daily total of 900 mg pantethine, 800 mg plant sterols (from soybean), 600 mg green tea extract (containing 50% epigallocatechin gallate EGCG), 75 mg delta tocotrienols (from annatto seed) and 5 mg Phytolens® (extract of lentil husks) (nutraceutical combination provided by Biotics Research Corporation). Participants were 18 – 80 years of age, not taking lipid-lowering drugs or lipid-lowering nutraceutical supplements. Patients were instructed not to change their diets, levels of exercise, smoking habits, caffeine intake, and prescription medications during the study. All labs were drawn after a twelve-hour fast except for water and included CBC, CHEM 12, LPP® (Lipoprotein Particle Profile, SpectraCell Laboratories), and HS CRP.

Results: After two months of supplementation, laboratory tests showed statistically significant improvements in plasma total cholesterol (TC) (p < 0.0001), low density lipoprotein (LDL) (p < 0.003), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) (p<0.05), small dense LDL particles type III (p < 0.01) and type IV (p < 0.02), and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The non-pharmacological treatment of hyperlipidemic individuals with a nutraceutical supplement containing pantethine, plant sterols, green tea extract, delta-tocotrienols, and Phytolens® improves lipid profiles and diastolic blood pressure as measured at the end of a two-month trial.