Hyperlipidaemia-related clinical trials
| Year | Author | Participants | Spirulina | Blood lipids | BG | BP | Other effects |
| 1988 | Nakaya et al30 | 30 | 4.2 g per day×8 weeks in group1; 4.2 g per day spirulina×4 weeks in group 2 | Significant reduction in TC; predominately higher among those with higher serum TC and those with higher dietary content of TC. | – | – | No change in BW |
| 1996 | Ramamoorthy et al31 | 30 patients with hypercholesterolaemia (TC>250 mg/dL) with ischaemic heart disease | 2g×3 months in group1; 4g×3 months in group 2 and group three being control | Significant lowering in TC, LDL, VLDL, TG and increase in HDL as compared with the control group. | – | – | Significant reduction in BW as compared with control group. |
| 2000 | Mani et al34 | 15 T2DM | 2 g spirulina×2 months | Significant lowering in TC, LDL, VLDL, TG and HDL-C: LDL-C ratio. | Significant reduction in BG. | – | – |
| 2001 | Parikh et al35 | 25 T2DM | 2 g per day×2 months | Significant reduction in TG by 6.4 mg, LDL-C by 7.1 mg, TC by 21.3 mg (p<0.05) and atherogenic indices of TC:HDL-C from 5.4±1.0 to 5.0±1.0 (p<0.05) and LDL-C: HDL-C from 3.5±0.8 to 2.9±0.5 (p<0.05). Apolipoprotein B lowered by 16.1 mg (p<0.05); apolipoprotein A1 levels increased by 11.4 mg (p<0.05). | Reduced fasting blood glucose by 19.3 mg (p<0.05), postprandial blood glucose by 16.1 mg (p<0.05), HbA1c by 1.0% (p<0.05) | – | – |
| 2008 | Lee et al36 | 37 T2DM | 8 g×12 weeks | Significant reduction in TGs (125.8– 98.5 mg/dL, p<0.05. | – | Reduced BP | Antioxidant effects by lowering plasma malondialdehyde levels (p<0.05) and increasing plasma adiponectin levels (p<0.1) |
| 2002 | Samuels et al37 | 23 paediatric Indian patients with nephrotic syndrome | Steroid medications alone or with 1 g/day×2 months | TC decreased significantly by 116.33 mg/dL vs 69.87 mg/dL in control); LDL by 94.14 mg/dL vs 61 mg/dL in controls and triglycerides by 67.72 mg/dL vs 22.6 mg/dL in controls. LDL-C:HDL-C ratio decreased by 1.66 vs 1.13 (p<0.05) and TC:HDL-C decreased by 1.96 vs 1.19. | – | – | – |
| 2003 | Kim et al39 | 12 elderly patients aged 60–75 years | 7.5 g/day for 24 weeks | Significant reductions in TG, TC and LDL fraction. | – | – | No anthropometric changes |
| 2005 | Kim et al40 | 51 elderly females with hypercholesterolaemia (TC >200 mg/dL) aged 60 years and above | 7.5 g/day for 8 weeks | Significant reduction in TC, LDL-C, oxidised LDL and apolipoprotein B. | – | – | – |
| 2008 | Park et al42 | 78 individuals aged 60–87 year | 8 g/day spirulina vs placebo for 16 weeks | Significant reduction in plasma TC and LDL noted. IL-2 increased and IL-6 reduced. | – | – | – |
| 2014 | Mazokopakis et al32 | Cretan Greek newly diagnosed with dyslipidaemia | 1 g per day for 3 months | Significant reduction in TGs by 16.3% (p<0.0001), LDL-C by 10.1% (p<0.0001), TC by 8.9% (p<0.0001), non-HDL-C by 10.8% (p<0.0001) and TC/HDL ratio by 11.5% (p=0.0006). HDL-C increased by 3.5%. | HellenicSCORE revealing a reduction in risk from 15.4% to 1.9%. |
BG, blood glucose; BP, blood pressure; BW, body weight; HDL-C, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol; IL, interleukin; LDL-C, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglyceride; VLDL, very low density lipoprotein.