Soy protein’s ability to lower total and LDL (low-density lipoprotein or “the bad”) cholesterol has been extensively studied, but the mechanism whereby soy protein lowers cholesterol remains unresolved. A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology last month shows that soy protein lowers total cholesterol and non-HDL (non-high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol significantly more than milk protein in patients with moderately high cholesterol levels.

“Non-HDL cholesterol has been shown to be a somewhat stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease and mortality risk than LDL cholesterol in population studies,” said Elaine Krul, co-author of the study and nutrition discovery lead at Solae. “The fact that soy protein significantly decreased non-HDL cholesterol levels compared to milk protein in this study is very promising.”

This randomized, controlled, parallel arm trial evaluated the effects of an insoluble fraction of soy protein, compared to total milk proteins with high calcium content, on the fasting lipid profile. It also assessed the potential contributions of increased excretion of bile acids and neutral sterols to their lipid-altering effects.

“The results of this study also showed that soy protein lowered non-HDL through a mechanism that does not involve increased bile acid excretion, but some yet to be determined mechanism,” said Kevin Maki, lead author of the study. “Nonetheless, these results are supportive of the heart health claim for soy protein.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) heart health claim for soy protein established in 1999 states that “25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.” Currently, 11 other countries have approved health claims for soy protein’s potential to lower blood cholesterol and lower the risk of coronary heart disease.

Solae’s soy protein that was used in this study was a relatively insoluble fraction of soy protein isolate that had been shown to lower plasma cholesterol and increase fecal bile acid excretion in animals. The levels of isoflavones in the soy protein were lower than the average commercial soy protein isolate further supporting the notion that isoflavones do not play a role in the cholesterol lowering. The milk protein supplemented group also showed a modest cholesterol lowering.

Subjects for this study included men and women 18 to 79 years of age with elevated cholesterol, defined as fasting LDL-cholesterol concentrations of at least 100 mg/dL and less than 200 mg/dL while receiving no lipid altering therapy. Once recruited, participants were asked to follow a Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet throughout the study. Subjects that still met the inclusion criteria were then screened for their ability to lower their cholesterol in response to a bile acid binding drug, colesevelam. A majority of subjects responded and were then randomized to the test protein groups.

Source:
Jennifer Starkey
Solae, LLC

Cholesterol From Medical News Today

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/214161.php

Determining the EFficacy and Tolerability of CETP INhibition with AnacEtrapib (DEFINE) is a randomized, double-blind trial of 1,623 patients who took either 100 milligrams (mg) of the cholesterylester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor anacetrapib, or a placebo for 18 months at 153 centers in 20 countries. The patients were already being treated with a statin and/or other lipid-lowering medicine and had achieved their goal level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

The study’s primary endpoints were the percent change in LDL, known as the “bad” cholesterol associated with the development of clogged arteries, and safety as measured by a number of clinical and laboratory measures as well as cardiovascular (CV) events.

Anacetrapib reduced LDL by 40 percent – from 81 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) to 49 mg/dL. It also more than doubled the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) that helps clear lipids from the bloodstream – from 40 mg/dL to 101 mg/dL – without raising blood pressure.

“Anacetrapib has a knock-your-socks-off effect on HDL and a jaw-dropping effect on LDL,” said Christopher P. Cannon, M.D., senior investigator of the TIMI Study Group in the cardiovascular division of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. “These changes are striking because virtually all the patients in the study were already taking cholesterol-lowering drugs and achieved previously unattainable levels of good and bad cholesterol.”

The experimental drug is one of a new class that blocks the ability of the CETP enzyme to transfer cholesterol particles from the good HDL to the bad LDL.

Elevated LDL and low levels of HDL are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Statins reduce LDL and lessen cardiovascular risk. Despite statin therapy, many patients still have a high risk of cardiovascular disease.

High natural levels of HDL are associated with lower cardiovascular risk, which is why researchers have been looking for ways to increase HDL levels, said Cannon, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

“No treatments raise HDL levels as substantially as seen here (more than doubling of the levels),” said Cannon.

Patients in DEFINE were 62.5 years old on average; 23 percent were women; 17 percent were Asian, black or multiracial and 15 percent were Hispanic. The study included interim safety analyses at six and 12 months, and researchers found no change in blood pressure or electrolytes among participants.

Levels of aldosterone, a hormone produced in the adrenal gland that affects kidney function and blood pressure, didn’t change. The researchers also found no increase in muscle problems or liver function abnormalities between groups – a side effect occasionally associated with statins.

Although the study was not designed or powered to assess the effects of anacetrapib on cardiovascular events, fewer cardiovascular events occurred in the anacetrapib group than in the statin-only group. The full efficacy and safety of anacetrapib will be evaluated in a larger Phase III trial, Cannon said.

“This agent provides us a very strong add-on treatment to statins that dramatically increases the good cholesterol and dramatically further decreases the bad cholesterol,” he said. “If the cardiovascular effects are borne out by future research, it would be a very promising approach to reducing cardiovascular events in patients with or prone to atherosclerosis.”

Co-authors are Sukrut Shah, R.Ph., Ph.D.; Hayes M. Dansky, M.D.; Michael Davidson, M.D.; Eliot A. Brinton, M.D.; Antonio M. Gotto Jr., M.D., D.Phil.; Michael Stepanavage, M.S.; Sherry Xueyu Liu, M.S.; Patrice Gibbons, M.S.; Tanya B. Ashraf, B.A.; Jennifer Zafarino, M.S.; Yale Mitchel, M.D. and Philip Barter, M.D., Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract.

Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, N.J., funded the study.

Cholesterol News From Medical News Today

The normal level of cholesterol varies between 150 – 200 mg per 100 ml. In blood, cholesterol occurs in combination with certain lipids (fats), hence, known as lipoptroteins. There are two main types of lipoproteins: a low density one (LDL) and a high density one (HDL). The low density lipoprotein is the one which is considered harmful and is associated with cholesterol deposits in blood vessels. The higher the ratio of LDL to the total cholesterol, the greater will be the risk of arterial damage and heart disease. HDL, on the other hand, plays a salutory role by helping remove cholesterol from circulation and thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.

Causes:

Hereditary:
Hypercholesterolaemia or increase in cholesterol is mainly a hereditary disorder.

Excessive consumption of rich foods:
It is also caused by taking rich foods and fried foods: excessive consumption of milk and its products like clarified butter, butter, and cream; white flour, sugar, cakes, pastries, biscuits, cheese, and ice cream; and non-vegetarian foods like meat, fish, and eggs.

Smoking, Drinking and Stress:
Other causes of increase in cholesterol are irregularity in habits, smoking and drinking alcohol. Stress has also been found to be a major cause of increased level of cholesterol.

Symptoms of High Blood Cholesterol:

Following are the major high blood cholesterol symptoms:

1. General fatigue
2. Excess sweating and feel of uneasiness
3. Pain and heaviness in chest area
4. Breathlessness

Home Remedies:

High Blood Cholesterol treatment using Lecithin:
Lecithin, also a fatty food substance and the most abundant of the phospholipids, is beneficial in case of increase in cholesterol level. It has the ability to break up cholesterol into small particles which can be easily handled by the system. With sufficient intake of lecithin, cholesterol cannot build up against the walls of the arteries and veins. Lecithin also increases the production of bile acids made from cholesterol, thereby reducing its amount in the blood, Egg yolk, vegetable oils, wholegrain cereals, soyabeans, and unpasturised milk are rich sources of lecithin. The cells of the body are also capable of synthesizing it as needed, if several of the B vitamins are present.

High Blood Cholesterol treatment using Vitamins:
Vitamins B6, choline, and inositol are particularly effective in reducing the level of blood cholesterol. Wheat germ, yeast, or vitamin B extracted from bran contain high quantities of these vitamins. Vitamin E also elevates blood lecithin and reduces cholesterol. The patient should take liberal quantities of vitamin E-rich foods such as sunflower seeds, safflower, soyabean oils, butter, and sprouted seed and grains.

High Blood Cholesterol treatment using Coriander Seeds:
Regular drinking of a decoction of coriander seeds helps lower blood cholesterol. It is a good diuretic and helps stimulate the kidneys. It is prepared by boiling two tablespoons of dry seeds in a glass of water and straining the decoction after cooling. This decoction should be taken twice daily.

High Blood Cholesterol treatment using Fibre:
The amount of fibre in the diet also influences the cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol can be lowered by taking diets rich in fibres. The most significant sources of dietary fibre are unprocessed wheat bran, whole cereals such as wheat, rice, barley, rye; legumes such as potatoes, carrots, beet, and turnips, fruits such as mangoes and guavas; and leafy vegetables such as cabbage, ladys fingers, lettuce and celery. Oat bran and corn bran are specially beneficial in lowering LDL cholesterol.

High Blood Cholesterol treatment using Coriander Seeds:
Regular drinking of a decoction of coriander seeds helps lower blood cholesterol. It is a good diuretic and helps stimulate the kidneys. It is prepared by boiling two tablespoons of dry seeds in a glass of water and straining the decoction after cooling. This decoction should be taken twice daily.

Herbal Remedies for High Blood Cholesterol

1. Eat garlic regularly. It is an effective herbal remedy for lowering cholesterol
2. Take 3 grams of mixture of giloye with black pepper powder twice a day. It is also an effective herbal remedy for lowering cholesterol
3. Taking one tablespoon of honey is also good for lowering cholesterol
4. Take guggulu for natural cholesterol lowering
5. Take one teaspoon of oil of the ishabgul seeds twice a day. It will help in lowering blood cholesterol

Twenty genes that play major roles in controlling cholesterol within cells have been identified by German researchers, who said that some of the genes may play a role in heart disease risk and offer new targets for drug treatment.

The 20 genes are likely to be “immediately relevant” for maintaining cholesterol levels in the cell, as well as controlling the uptake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the researchers explained in the July 8 issue of Cell Metabolism.

“High cholesterol in the blood is considered to be responsible for excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality,” Dr. Heiko Runz, of the University of Heidelberg, said in a news release from the journal’s publisher. “Blood cholesterol levels are controlled by cholesterol in cells. Therefore, some of the genes identified by us as regulators of cellular cholesterol in future studies might turn out to be disease genes that contribute to hypercholesterolemia [high cholesterol] in some cases.”

The genes identified in the study may also have potential as targets for new cholesterol-lowering drugs, the researchers say. And the new methods used in the study could help identify many more cholesterol genes.

“Until now, disease-associated genes affecting blood cholesterol levels have successfully been identified in single families and, more recently, genomic studies involving large number of patients,” Runz and colleagues wrote.

“Most of what we know about the molecular machinery that keeps cholesterol levels balanced, however, comes from using cultured cell models,” they said. “A functional analysis of many genes at once by the integrated functional genomics technology applied here now harbors potential not only to ease identification, but also to better describe the molecular roles of cholesterol regulators in health and disease.”

Source: HealthDay News