title: [Low fat milk powder containing esterified plant sterols improves the blood lipid profile of adults with hypercholesterolemia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the impact of plant sterol esters (PSE) mixed in low fat milk powder (2.5 g of PSE/day) on plasma cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects during a 6-week intervention period.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 59 subjects (19 males, mean age (60.28 ± 6.98) years) with primary hypercholesterolemia (fasting LDL cholesterol between 3.4-6.0 mmol/L) were randomly divided into two groups (treatment group, 2.5 g of plant sterol esters a day, n = 30) and placebo group (n = 29). Blood samples were collected at week 0, 3 and 6. The primary outcome was change in plasma LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C). Secondary outcomes were changes in total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), anthropometry and blood biochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LDL-C significantly reduction from baseline (4.18 ± 0.54) mmol/L to (3.44 ± 0.61) mmol/L (-17.7%, P < 0.05) at week 3 and (3.35 ± 0.39) mmol/L (-19.9%, P < 0.05) at week 6 in the treatment group, whereas in placebo group from (4.11 ± 0.54) mmol/L at baseline to (3.47 ± 0.60) mmol/L (-15.57%, P < 0.05) and (3.61 ± 0.39) mmol/L (-12.17%, P < 0.05) at week 3 and week 6, respectively. TC was reduced from (6.30 ± 0.86) mmol/L at baseline to (5.92 ± 0.75) mmol/L (-6.03%, P > 0.05) at week 3 and (5.43 ± 0.77) mmol/L (-13.8%, P < 0.05) at week 6 in treatment group, from (6.20 ± 0.76) mmol/L at week 0 to (5.70 ± 0.76) mmol/L (-8.06%, P < 0.05) at week 3 and (5.84 ± 0.75) mmol/L (-5.81%, P < 0.05) at week 6 in placebo group. PSE-enriched milk did not affect plasma HDL-C level and TG level at both week 3 and week 6. After normalization to the placebo group, the treatment group showed significant reduction in LDL-C and total cholesteron after 6 weeks. The observed difference of reduction was 7.69% (-0.33 mmol/L, P < 0.05) for LDL-C and 8.00% (-0.51 mmol/L, P < 0.05) for TC between the two groups. There were no significant changes in safety parameters, including blood biochemistry tests during the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plant sterol ester enriched milk powder is effective in reducing LDL-C among Chinese hypercholesterolemic subjects at a dosage recommended by EFSA.
authors.affiliation: Center of Clinical Nutrition, Fudan University Affiliated Huadong Hospital, Shanghai 200040, China. Email: jianqins@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jianqin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Danfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xifeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yiru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Huijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yanqiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D049671:History, 18th Century; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000178:diet therapy*; D008055:Lipids; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014280:Triglycerides
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D010840:Phytosterols; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol