Regresar

Effect of policosanol on serum lipids and lipoproteins in healthy volunteers

Abstract:

Policosanol is a mixture of high molecular weight alcohols isolated from sugar cane with cholesterol-lowering effects that have been demonstrated in different experimental models. In this trial policosanol 10 or 20 mg of placebo was given daily (5 or 10 mg twice a day) for four weeks under double-blind conditions to three groups of normocholesterolemic healthy volunteers. After four weeks, subjects treated with policosanol at 10 or 20 mg showed significant reductions in serum cholesterol, while only the subjects receiving the higher dose showed a significant decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) values (22%) as well as significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (29.93%) levels. These changes were significantly different from the variations on placebo, which conversely showed an upward drift of serum cholesterol and LDL-C levels. Nonrelevant changes in serum triglycerides were produced. Policosanol was very well tolerated and there were no adverse effects reports attributable to treatment.