title: Low dose chromium-polynicotinate or policosanol is effective in hypercholesterolemic children only in combination with glucomannan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A low-fat, fiber-rich diet is the first step in the management for hypercholesterolemic children. Glucomannan (GM) is a natural fiber that has been demonstrated to lower total and LDL-cholesterol. The use of high-dose chromium-polynicotinate (CP) and policosanol (PC) has also shown cholesterol-lowering benefits. We aimed at investigating the effects of low-dose CP or PC and their GM combination in hypercholesterolemic children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A double-blind trial was conducted in 120 children (60 M, 60 F, 9 ± 4 years, median 9.6 years, range: 3-16 years) randomly assigned to 5 neutraceutical and 1 placebo (only resistant starch) 8-week treatment groups. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (CholT), triglycerides (TG), HDL and LDL cholesterol were considered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GM combination of low-dose CP or PC reduced CholT and LDL without changing HDL, TG and FBG. The highest post-treatment changes were seen after GM combination with CP (CholT 85 ± 3% and LDL 85 ± 5%, of pretreatment) which was significantly (p < 0.01) less than with low-dose CP or PC and starch. When GM was associated with starch, there was no lipid lowering effect, which was an unexpected finding as compared to previous data with GM and no starch. No adverse effects were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report to show the cholesterol-lowering efficacy of GM combined treatment with low-dose CP or PC. Further studies are needed to investigate the best combinations and doses of nutraceutics to be added to the standard GM treatment. The potential negative association of GM and nutraceutics with starch is clearly shown.
authors: Lipid Research, Dipartimento di Pediatria e Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Martino
authors: Paolo Emilio
authors: PE
authors: Puddu
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Pannarale
authors: Chiara
authors: C
authors: Colantoni
authors: Eliana
authors: E
authors: Martino
authors: Tarcisio
authors: T
authors: Niglio
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Zanoni
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Barillà
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002400:Cathartics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005215:Fasting; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008351:Mannans / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009539:Nicotinic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002400:Cathartics; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D008351:Mannans; D009539:Nicotinic Acids; D014280:Triglycerides; C080710:policosanol; C079688:chromium dinicotinate; C022901:(1-6)-alpha-glucomannan