Fiber/statin combination
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Taking 10 mg simvastatin with 15 g of Procter & Gamble's Metamucil daily can reduce cholesterol as effectively as a 20 mg dose of the statin alone, Abel Moreyra, MD, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, et al., report at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in New Orleans Nov. 9. The eight-week study enrolled 67 subjects with CHD risk factors in three trial arms. Participants were randomized to simvastatin 20 mg plus placebo (Tang), simvastatin 10 mg plus placebo or simvastatin 10 mg plus 15 g psyllium (Metamucil); the fiber was taken three times daily with meals. The results suggest a treatment option that may carry reduced side effects, the researchers point out...