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Policosanol can lower Cholesterol by 17% prolonged use

Policosanol and cholesterol control ...

Darrell Miller

05/17/05

Date: May 17, 2005 06:25 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Policosanol and cholesterol control ...

In addition, after 30 days of therapy, 20 and 40 mg/day policosanol significantly ( P < 0.01) reduced low-density lipoprotein– cholesterol (15.9 and 17.0%, respectively) and total cholesterol (12.4 and 12.3%, respectively; P < 0.05), yet increased high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol values by 5% in both groups ( P < 0.05).

Policosanol is a mixture of higher aliphatic primary alcohols purified from sugar cane ( Saccharum officinarum L) 4,5 wax, the main component of which is octacosanol, followed by triacontanol and hexacosanol; other alcohols (tetracosanol, heptacosanol, nonacosanol, dotriacontanol and tetratriacontanol) are minor components. The cholesterol-lowering effects of policosanol have been proven in healthy volunteers, 6,7 patients with type II hypercholesterolaemia 8–25 and in dyslipidaemia due to type II diabetes mellitus. 26,27

The hypocholesterolaemic effect of policosanol is associated with inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis at a step located between acetate consumption and mevalonate production, although inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase has been discarded. 28–30 Policosanol also increases low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-dependent processing in fibroblast cultures, 28 as well as the clearance of [ 125 I]-labelled LDL–cholesterol (LDL-C) administered to rabbits with hypercholesterolaemia induced by a cholesterol-free casein-rich diet. 29