Effects of a nutraceutical combination of fermented red rice, liposomal berberine, and curcumin on lipid and inflammatory parameters in patients with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia: an 8-week, open-label, single-arm pilot study

Abstract

IntroductionThe present open-label, single-arm pilot study sought to evaluate the effects of a nutraceutical combination containing fermented red rice, liposomal berberine, and curcumin on lipid and inflammatory parameters in patients with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia.Material and methodsForty patients with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia received the nutraceutical combination containing fermented red rice, liposomal berberine, and curcumin, once a day for 8 weeks. The study outcomes included changes from baseline in lipid (total cholesterol (TC), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG)) and inflammatory parameters (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)).ResultsCompared with baseline, the nutraceutical combination produced a statistically significant reduction of TC (–20.4%, p < 0.05), LDL-C (–27.6%, p < 0.05), oxLDL (–23.2%, p < 0.05), and TG (–17.9%, p < 0.05). We also observed a reduction from baseline for hs-CRP (–15.4%, p < 0.05) and TNF-α (–14.3%, p < 0.05). The treatment was well tolerated and none of the patients discontinued treatment due to adverse effects. No cases of myalgia or musculoskeletal system disorders were observed.ConclusionsThe nutraceutical combination of fermented red rice, liposomal berberine, and curcumin improves lipid profile and reduces markers of inflammation in low-risk dyslipidemic patients, with potential implications for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.