If you have been to any China Town in the world, you may have encountered extracts of red yeast rice, which in China claims to help patients with
circulatory and digestive disorders. Ironically, it has been determined that one of the statins widely used by doctors called lovastatin actually is found in certain forms of red yeast rice.
In an article published in the American Journal of Cardiology on Jan 15, 2010, researchers claimed that red yeast rice was not only well tolerated, but also was able to achieve similar reductions in LDL cholesterol compared to pravastatin. The authors concluded that this herbal supplement could be used in patients who had bad side effects to the pravastatin, which can include muscle aches and liver abnormalities. The authors did note that the patients on red yeast rice also had to alter their physical activity, so it is unclear whether the changes in the LDL cholesterol were secondary to the red yeast rice or to the physical activity.
One of the problems with all herbal supplements is trying to make sure that one gets what is claimed in the product they buy and the same issue would be true for red yeast rice.
In this study of 43 subjects were were randomized to red yeast rice 2400 mg twice a day (subjects who were previously on a statin other than pravastatin) or pravastatin 20 mg daily. After 12 weeks, red yeast rice reduced LDL cholesterol by 30% from baseline whereas pravastatin reduced LDL cholesterol by 27%, which were not statistically different. In both arms of the study, patients tolerated the drug that was given and only one person in the red yeast rice compared to two in the pravstatin arm stopped the drug their were assigned (this was a blinded study).
In an article published in the American Journal of Cardiology on Jan 15, 2010, researchers claimed that red yeast rice was not only well tolerated, but also was able to achieve similar reductions in LDL cholesterol compared to pravastatin. The authors concluded that this herbal supplement could be used in patients who had bad side effects to the pravastatin, which can include muscle aches and liver abnormalities. The authors did note that the patients on red yeast rice also had to alter their physical activity, so it is unclear whether the changes in the LDL cholesterol were secondary to the red yeast rice or to the physical activity.
One of the problems with all herbal supplements is trying to make sure that one gets what is claimed in the product they buy and the same issue would be true for red yeast rice.
In this study of 43 subjects were were randomized to red yeast rice 2400 mg twice a day (subjects who were previously on a statin other than pravastatin) or pravastatin 20 mg daily. After 12 weeks, red yeast rice reduced LDL cholesterol by 30% from baseline whereas pravastatin reduced LDL cholesterol by 27%, which were not statistically different. In both arms of the study, patients tolerated the drug that was given and only one person in the red yeast rice compared to two in the pravstatin arm stopped the drug their were assigned (this was a blinded study).
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