title: Use of a lipid-lowering food supplement in patients on hormone therapy following breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper was to determine the activity of a natural nutraceuticals combination (AP=Berberine+Red Yeast Rice) on dyslipidemia which frequently persists after life style changes in patients on hormone-therapy following breast cancer (HT-BC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one HT-BC patients, free of tumor, mean age 59.9 years, BMI 28,9 kg/m2, waist circumference 95.9 cm, with altered lipid profile (total cholesterol 269.0 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol 54.9 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol 184.0 mg/dL, and triglycerides 263.3 mg/dL) were recruited. They were recommended a 3-month period of diet followed by a 3-month period of treatment with AP 1 tablet/day. AP tablets contain berberine 500 mg, red yeast rice extract 200 mg (equivalent to 3 mg monacolins), policosanol 10 mg, folic acid 0.2 mg, coenzyme Q10 2 mg, and asthaxantin 0.5 mg.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lipid profile was significantly improved by AP vs. diet: 1.8% decrease in total cholesterol on diet and a further 15.3% decrease with AP vs. diet (P<0.001); a 3.1% decrease in LDL cholesterol after diet and an 18.9% decrease after AP treatment vs diet alone (P<0.01); a 2.3% decrease in triglycerides after diet alone and a 36.5% decrease after AP vs. diet (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adequate life style therapy is effective in reducing, but not in normalizing, the lipid profile in patients on hormone-therapy following breast cancer. The use of natural nutraceuticals as AP, combined with diet, leads to a good therapeutic response and optimal acceptance by the patients.
authors.affiliation: Ospedaliero Torino Nord Emergenza San Giovanni Bosco, Turin, Italy. michela.zanardi@aslto2nord.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanardi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quirico
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benvenuti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezzana
mesh_terms: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001599:Berberine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D001688:Biological Products; C117343:red yeast rice; D013629:Tamoxifen; D001599:Berberine