Cholesterol, High Cholesterol

Noting that many patients don’t take their cholesterol-lowering statins (a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol) because of side effects like muscle pain, researchers gave 18 subjects with high cholesterol an all-natural, cholesterol-lowering powdered shake (with almond, soy or low-fat milk) that contained 1,200 mg of red yeast rice and 1,250 mg of phytosterols. After six weeks of drinking the shake twice a day, total cholesterol dropped by an average of 19% and LDL cholesterol by 33%. Other measures such as body mass index, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol levels, or systolic and diastolic blood pressure did not change significantly. (131)

Red yeast rice vs. statin medication:

A randomized, double-blind trial compared the tolerability of red yeast rice with that of a statin drug (cholesterol lowering medications) in a population with statin-associated myalgia (ie, muscle pain, stiffness or cramps). A total of 43 adults with dyslipidemia (abnormal amount of cholesterol and/or fat in the blood) and a history of statin discontinuation due to myalgia were included. All patients were randomly assigned to either red yeast rice 4800 mg daily, taken as 4 x 600-mg capsules twice daily (Sylvan Bioproducts, Kittanning, PA) available at GNC, or pravastatin 20 mg twice daily. All participants were concurrently enrolled in a therapeutic lifestyle change program. After 12 weeks, both treatments were associated with a low incidence of treatment discontinuation due to myalgia, no evidence of muscle weakness, and a similar level of LDL cholesterol reduction. Mean LDL-C level decreased 30% in the red yeast rice group and 27% in the pravastatin group. Withdrawal due to myalgia was 5% in the red yeast rice group and 9% in the pravastatin group (p = 0.99). Hip flexor muscle strength did not differ between the 2 groups at week 4 (p =0.61), week 8 (p= 0.81), or week 12 (p= 0.82). This study shows that red yeast rice lowers LDL-cholesterol and may be better tolerated than pravastatin. (132)