EFFECT OF A NUTRACEUTICAL COMBINATION CONTAINING THE PROBIOTIC BIFIDOBACTERIUM LONGUM BB536 AND RED YEAST RICE EXTRACT ON CARDIOVASCULAR RISK BIOMARKERS - A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY

Abstract

In subjects with moderate hypercholesterolemia, probiotics incorporated into dairy products canreduce circulating total (TC) and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C). Probiotics with high biliary salt hydrolaseactivity, e.g. Bifidobacterium longum BB536, decrease TC and LDL-C by lowering intestinal cholesterolreabsorption and, combined with other nutraceuticals, may be useful to manage hypercholesterolemiain subjects with low cardiovascular (CV) risk. The objective of the study was to evaluate efficacy andsafety of a nutraceutical combination containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536, red yeast rice (RYR)extract (10 mg/day monacolin K), niacin, coenzyme Q10 (Lactoflorene Colesterolo®). The end-pointswere changes of lipid CV risk markers (LDL-C, TC, non-HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides(TG), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), HDL-C, apolipoprotein AI (ApoAI), lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], proproteinconvertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and of markers of cholesterol synthesis and absorption.