Becker DJ, Gordon RY, Halbert SC, et al. Red yeast rice for dyslipidemia in statin-intolerant patients: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 2009 Jun 16;150(12):830-839, W147-149.
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/150/12/830
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/150/12/830
http://www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/150/12/830
Summary for Patients
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/summary/150/12/830
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Ann Intern Med. 2009 Jun 16;150(12):830-9, W147-9.
Comment in:
Ann Intern Med. 2009 Jun 16;150(12):885-6.
Red yeast rice for dyslipidemia in statin-intolerant patients: a randomized trial.
Becker DJ, Gordon RY, Halbert SC, French B, Morris PB, Rader DJ.
Chestnut Hill Hospital, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
BACKGROUND: Red yeast rice is an herbal supplement that decreases low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of red yeast rice and therapeutic lifestyle change to treat dyslipidemia in patients who cannot tolerate statin therapy. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Community-based cardiology practice. PATIENTS: 62 patients with dyslipidemia and history of discontinuation of statin therapy due to myalgias. INTERVENTION: Patients were assigned by random allocation software to receive red yeast rice, 1800 mg (31 patients), or placebo (31 patients) twice daily for 24 weeks. All patients were concomitantly enrolled in a 12-week therapeutic lifestyle change program. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome was LDL cholesterol level, measured at baseline, week 12, and week 24. Secondary outcomes included total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride, liver enzyme, and creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) levels; weight; and Brief Pain Inventory score. RESULTS: In the red yeast rice group, LDL cholesterol decreased by 1.11 mmol/L (43 mg/dL) from baseline at week 12 and by 0.90 mmol/L (35 mg/dL) at week 24. In the placebo group, LDL cholesterol decreased by 0.28 mmol/L (11 mg/dL) at week 12 and by 0.39 mmol/L (15 mg/dL) at week 24. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was significantly lower in the red yeast rice group than in the placebo group at both weeks 12 (P
PMID: 19528562