Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a crucial cause of death in postmenopausal women. Plasma ceramide concentrations are correlated with the development of atherosclerosis and are significant predictors of CVD. Here, we conducted a 4-week, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical pilot study to investigate the effect of Korean red ginseng (KRG) on serum ceramide concentrations in 68 postmenopausal women with hypercholesterolemia. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group (n = 36) received KRG and the control (n = 32) group received placebo, 2 g each, once daily. Serum ceramides were measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry at baseline and study completion, with changes in serum ceramide levels as the primary end point. We detected significantly greater mean changes in C16 ceramide levels (d18:1/16:0: −6.4 ± 6.3 pmol/mL vs. 14.6 ± 6.8 pmol/mL, respectively, p = 0.040; d18:1/22:0: −20.8 ± 24.4 pmol/mL vs. 71.1 ± 26.2 pmol/mL, respectively, p = 0.020). Additionally, changes in the median C16 (d18:1/16:0) and C22 (d18:1/22:0) ceramide levels were significantly greater in KRG-group subjects with metabolic syndrome than those without. Therefore, we found that KRG decreases the serum levels of several ceramides in postmenopausal women with hypercholesterolemia, suggesting it may be beneficial for preventing CVD in these individuals.
Highlights
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for women in the UnitedStates [1]
The Korean red ginseng (KRG) and placebo groups were similar in terms of age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and blood pressures
The proportions of participants with hypertension or diabetes were similar in the KRG and placebo groups, and the proportions of physical activity, smoking, or alcohol consumption between the two groups were not significantly different
Summary
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for women in the UnitedStates [1]. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for women in the United. In Korea, more women than men die of CVD, with this disease accounting for 1 in 4.5 deaths in women compared to 1 in 5.8 in men in 2009 [2]. Women have an increased risk for CVD after menopause and typically develop coronary heart disease several years later compared to men [3]. Laaksonen et al [7] reported that plasma ceramide species are significant predictors of CVD death beyond traditional lipid markers in patients with stable coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome. Haus et al [9] reported that plasma ceramide levels are increased in patients with type 2 diabetes and correlated with insulin resistance
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