title: Efficacy and safety of herbal medicine yun-cai tea in the treatment of hyperlipidemia: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Animal studies have demonstrated a lipid-modulating effect of yun-cai tea. However, little is known about the lipid-lowering effect in humans.The aim of this study was to evaluate the lipid lowering effects and safety of yun-cai tea in patients with elevated lipid levels in a human clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a 12-week, randomly assigned, parallel-group, double-blind, and placebo-controlled pilot clinical study. Sixty primary hyperlipidemia patients were included and randomly assigned to the yun-cai tea group (30 patients) and the placebo group (30 patients), for 8 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks of follow-up. The primary endpoint was changes in plasma low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) at 8 weeks. The secondary endpoints included total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results revealed no statistically signifificant differences in LDL-C and TC between the two groups. Despite the lack of a statistically signifificant difference in the level of TG between the two groups, a declining trend was noted. A signifificant reduction of TG was observed in the yun-cai tea group at week 8, compared to baseline (P=0.048). The incidence of stomach discomfort, gastroesophageal reflfl ux, diarrhea, and constipation was slightly higher in the yun-cai tea group. No other signifificant adverse events were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is unlikely that yun-cai tea used had a blood lipid reduction effect. Further larger scale clinical trials with a longer duration and larger dose are necessary.
authors: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, China.
authors: Chien-Ying
authors: CY
authors: Lee
authors: Min-Chien
authors: MC
authors: Yu
authors: Chun-Che
authors: CC
authors: Lin
authors: Ming-Yung
authors: MY
authors: Lee
authors: James Cheng-Chung
authors: JC
authors: Wei
authors: Hung-Che
authors: HC
authors: Shih
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D029001:Herbal Medicine; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D010919:Placebos; C000607361:yun-cai