Preventive cardiologyLipid-Lowering Efficacy of Red Yeast Rice in a Population Intolerant to Statins
Section snippets
Methods
We reviewed the clinical charts of approximately 1,400 patients referred to the Hartford Hospital Cholesterol Management Center and identified 25 patients treated with red yeast rice for ≥4 weeks. The patients were included if they had pre- and post-treatment lipid level measurements that were ≥4 weeks apart without simultaneous changes in other lipid-lowering medications. In addition to lipid levels, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) were measured in clinical
Results
Total cholesterol decreased 15% (−37 ± 26 mg/dl, p <0.001) and LDL cholesterol decreased 21% (−35 ± 25 mg/dl, p <0.001) during 74 ± 39 days of treatment. Triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased 6% (p = 0.06) and 0.5% (p = 0.48), respectively (Table 1). Patients with initial LDL cholesterol levels in the highest tertile (mean LDL cholesterol 198 ± 27 mg/dl) experienced an 18% LDL cholesterol reduction (−36 ± 3 mg/dl, p = 0.006), those in the second tertile (mean 168 ± 18
Discussion
This retrospective observational study of a clinical population demonstrated significant LDL cholesterol reductions with red yeast rice therapy in a population highly intolerant to daily statin use. The LDL cholesterol lowering effect of red yeast rice is in part due to the presence of monacolin-K, which is identical to lovastatin.6 However, the documented LDL cholesterol-lowering effect of red yeast rice exceeds that expected for the lovastatin concentration of the red yeast rice preparation.
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The current trend and challenges of developing red yeast rice-based food supplements for hypercholesterolemia
2023, Journal of Future FoodsMonascus spp. and citrinin: Identification, selection of Monascus spp. isolates, occurrence, detection and reduction of citrinin during the fermentation of red fermented rice
2022, International Journal of Food MicrobiologyCitation Excerpt :As RFR produces a drug (monacolin K) and mycotoxin (CIT), the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) does not approve the RFR as a dietary supplement (Gordon et al., 2010). However, some researchers have shown that RFR or Monascus fermented products pose no threat to human or animal health, and this may be due to the low levels of CIT in RFR or other Monascus fermented products (Lee et al., 2006; Mohan Kumari et al., 2009; Venero et al., 2010). Due to inadequate exposure data, risk assessment of CIT in food was estimated based on the CIT concentrations in grains and grain-based products, resulting in an exposure equal to the level of no concern for nephrotoxicity (0.2 μg/kg body weight per day) (EFSA, 2012).
Coconut Cream Agar as a simple and rapid semiquantitative method to screen citrinin-producing Monascus spp. isolates isolated from red fermented rice
2022, Journal of Microbiological MethodsCitation Excerpt :Due to its high mammalian nephrotoxicity, it is not allowed to be used as a drug (Flajs and Peraica, 2009) or as a dietary supplement (Gordon et al., 2010). Nevertheless, some researchers claim that RFR and Monascus fermented products represent no threat to the health of animals or humans possibly due to the low amount of CIT in RFR or other Monascus fermented products (Lee et al., 2006a; Mohan Kumari et al., 2009; Venero et al., 2010). However, most researchers consider that some action should be taken to control CIT levels in RFR (Chen and Hu, 2005).
Dr. Wortham is on the Speaker's Bureau of Novartis (East Hanover, New Jersey), Sanofi Aventis (Bridgewater, New Jersey); Dr. Thompson has received grant/research support from Merck (West Point, Pennsylvania), Pfizer (New York, New York), Astra Zeneca (Wilmington, Delaware), B. Braun (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), GlaxoSmithKline (Research Triangle Pk, North Carolina), Roche (Nutley, New Jersey), and Genomas (Hartford, Connecticut); has been a Consultant to Astra Zeneca, Merck, Schering-Plough (Liberty Corner, New Jersey), Takeda (Deerfield, Illinois), Roche, Genomas, and Abbott (North Chicago, Illinois); has been on the Speaker's Bureau for Merck, Pfizer, Abbott, Astra Zeneca, Schering-Plough, Stock; and has been a shareholder in Zoll (Chelmsford, Massachusetts), General Electric (Fairfield, Connecticut), JA Wiley Publishing (StreetHoboken, New Jersey), Zimmer (West Center Street Warsaw, Indiana), Medtronic (Minneapolis, Minnesota), and Merck. Work performed at the Cholesterol Management Center, Henry Low Heart Center, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut.