LONG-TERM TREATMENT OF HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA WITH DIETARY FIBER

PURPOSE: TO evaluate the hypocholesterolemic effects of long-term trea tment (36 to 51 weeks) with a mixture of dietary fibers (guar gum, pec tin, soy, pea, corn bran) administered twice a day. PATIENTS AND METHO DS: Fifty-nine subjects with moderate hypercholesterolemia who complet ed a 15-week, placebo-controlled study with the dietary fiber were tre ated for an additional 36 weeks with 20 g/day of fiber. Subjects were counseled and monitored on a National Cholesterol Education Program (N CEP) Step-One Diet before starting and during treatment. Analyses of c hanges in lipoprotein values during the additional 36 weeks of treatme nt took into account changes in weight, diet, and other variables that might have affected the response to treatment. RESULTS: There were no significant effects on the levels of either triglycerides or high-den sity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Levels of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and the LDL/HDL ratio were significantly reduced during treatment. The mean percentage redu ctions from baseline after 51 weeks of treatment were approximately 5% for TC, 9% for LDL-C, and 11% for the LDL/HDL ratio. Changes were app arent after 3 weeks of treatment, with the maximum reductions occurrin g by the 15th week of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: For subjects on a Step-O ne Diet who complied with the treatment regimen, the moderate choleste rol-lowering effects of the fiber persisted throughout the 36-to-51 we ek treatment period.