Cholesterol reduction has become part of the national standard in treating heart disease. A surge in cholesterol medication usage has also led to billions of dollars in medication prescriptions and a side effect list that must be monitored. Patients have sought various options to treat high cholesterol levels, including the supplement red yeast rice extract, to produce the benefit needed to lower cholesterol and protect the heart.
Red yeast rice extract (RYR) comes from a spice used in the Chinese culture for centuries. It has long been considered a treatment for the vascular system, but does it actually lower cholesterol? Current studies would suggest it does. Multiple studies have documented that RYR lowers total and LDL cholesterol along with triglycerides, and can even help raise good HDL cholesterol [Source: Zhao, Liu]. One literature review even suggested that RYR might have as positive of a benefit as the regular cholesterol medications (statin drugs) [Source: Liu]. This is great news because RYR is relatively cheap and found in supplement form in most health food stores.
Heart disease is more than just a cholesterol issue, however. One of the perceived major benefits of statin drugs, like Lipitor, are that they possibly help lower inflammation in the body. It's chronic inflammation in the body that is thought to contribute to chronic disease, like heart disease. RYR has demonstrated the ability to lower CRP levels, a test for chronic inflammation as a risk for heart disease [Source: Liu, Zhao]. Additionally, RYR has shown benefit in treating lipoprotein (a), another risk factor for heart disease that is often not checked during a regular screening [Source: Liu]. RYR has shown significant benefits for cholesterol, inflammation and even particle size (lipoprotein a). It has also shown protection to the very delicate lining of the blood vessels, the endothelium. This inner layer of the blood vessels is extremely sensitive to damage but is critically important to the health and function of the blood vessels. RYR has provided protection of this layer, demonstrating further versatility as a heart health supplement.
The most important statistic with any treatment for chronic disease is how well the treatment prevents death. It will not do us any good to take a supplement, like RYR, or pay for an expensive pharmaceutical, if lowering cholesterol does not help improve our life span. Many doctors have also shared concern that they are not confident prescribing RYR since they can not be sure it will prevent heart disease. Fortunately, a large study with more than 4,500 patients looked at RYR compared to a placebo over a four-year period to see if long-term safety data showed protection against heart disease and death [Source: Lu]. The study clearly demonstrated significant decreases in heart attack and death. This study is important because it ran over a period of several years and included several thousand patients. Patients can be more confident that RYR lowers cholesterol and inflammation, preserves the delicate, yet important, endothelial lining and also provides the end result of lowering the risks of heart attack and death.
