Fish Oil & Red Yeast Rice Help Cholesterol

(July 9, 2008) - A natural alternative may be just as effective, maybe more so, than statins for lowering cholesterol levels. (Read about "Cholesterol")

Cholesterol-reducing medications known as statins have been shown to lower cholesterol and may help prevent coronary artery disease. (Read about "Coronary Heart Disease") Up to 40 percent of the patients however, stop taking the drug in less than a year. Doctors believe that several factors - including cost, adverse effects, poor understanding of statin benefits and patients' reluctance to take prescription medications long term - may explain why some patients stop taking these medicines.

Researchers followed 74 patients with high blood cholesterol who met standard criteria for using statin therapy. Patients were randomly assigned to either the alternative treatment group or the statin group and followed for three months.

The alternative treatment group participants received daily fish oil and red yeast rice supplements, and they were enrolled in a 12-week multidisciplinary lifestyle program that involved weekly 3.5-hour educational meetings led by a cardiologist, dietitian, exercise physiologist and several alternative or relaxation practitioners. Red yeast rice is the product of yeast grown on rice. A dietary staple in some Asian countries, it contains several compounds known to inhibit cholesterol production.

The statin group participants received 40 milligrams (mg) of simvastatin daily, as well as printed materials about diet and exercise recommendations. At the end of the three-month period, participants from both groups underwent blood cholesterol testing to determine the percentage change in LDL cholesterol.

The researchers noted that there was a reduction in LDL cholesterol levels in both groups. The alternative treatment group experienced a 42.4 percent reduction, and the statin group experienced a 39.6 percent reduction. Members of the alternative therapy group also had a substantial reduction in triglycerides, another form of fat found in the blood, and lost more weight.