Abstract
The clinical efficacy of the Chinese therapeutic food (specifically hawthorn fruit and Chinese kiwifruit-extract compound) on dyslipidemia was evaluated in this placebo-controlled, double blind, paired clinical trial conducted in Melbourne, Australia. Forty-three participants diagnosed with moderate dyslipidemia and met the study criteria were randomly assigned to Group A or B, with baseline characteristics matched. Twenty-seven participants completed all the tests, the blood lipid profile including total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and triglycerides (TG) was analysed. The traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis was made based on participants' symptoms and signs. The results indicate that a four-week intake of the compound increased the serum HDL-c levels by 5% (P = 0.026) and decreased the ratios of TC/HDL-c and LDL-c/HDL-c (P = 0.012 and P = 0.044, resp.). The placebo intake did not significantly change the blood lipid profile. In the initial 43 participants with dyslipidemia, 76.7% of them were diagnosed with “Spleen deficiency” and 58.1% with “Liver qi stagnation.” The intake of hawthorn fruit and Chinese kiwifruit extract compound may increase the serum levels of HDL-c and decrease the ratios of TC/HDL-c and LDL-c/HDL-c, therefore, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Highlights
Atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) are common and have high mortality
This study evaluated the efficacy of the selected Chinese therapeutic food supplement for the treatment of dyslipidemia in Australia and compared the outcomes with the previous study conducted in China [10]
The results indicate that Hawthorn fruit compound (HFC) can effectively lower the ratio of total cholesterol (TC)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), an informative marker of atherosclerosis
Summary
Atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) are common and have high mortality. Dyslipidemia is considered to be responsible for the development of atherosclerosis through blood lipid accumulation and oxidation [1, 2]. The atherogenic lipid profile includes increased lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides (TG), and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), which are all recognized as independent risk factors for CVD. Therapeutic lifestyle changes are recommended as the first choice for blood lipid management, and dietary intake is suggested to include reduced intake of saturated fat and increased LDL-c lowering nutrients [3]. HMGCoA reductase inhibitors (statins), bile acid sequestrants, nicotinic acid, and fibric acids, are conventionally employed to achieve different goals of blood lipid management. Side effects of the agents, such as myopathy and increased liver enzymes [4], are a concern to users and clinicians
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