Decreased lipoprotein (a) and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in male patients with atherosclerosis after supplementation with ginger: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Although the antioxidant properties of ginger have been revealed, there is little available information on the effectiveness of ginger on inflammatory disorders such as atherosclerosis. This study was carried out to examine the effect of ginger on improving the complication of atherosclerosis.

METHODS

This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial conducted on patients with atherosclerosis. Participants in the ginger and control groups received 1600 mg of powdered ginger or placebo (wheat flour) in capsules daily for 8 weeks. Weight, body mass index (BMI), fasting blood sugar (FBS), cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

Ginger consumption in the intervention group significantly reduced serum Lp(a) level (27.25 ± 1.30 ng/ml vs. 23.57 ± 0.97 ng/ml) (P = 0.040) and also the level of hs-CRP in the intervention group was 1.90 ± 0.33 µg/ml and 1.24 ± 0.15 µg/ml (P = 0.010) before and after intervention, respectively, but the levels of Lp(a) and hs-CRP were not decreased significantly in the placebo group. The level of TAC in the ginger group was 0.71 ± 0.05 mM and after the trial was 0.57 ± 0.04 mM (P = 0.050); no significant differences were seen in TAC when ginger was administered at 1600 mg/daily for 60 days. Also the level of Lp(a) and hs-CRP but not TAC reduced significantly in ginger group compared to placebo group after intervention.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that ginger had anti-atherosclerosis and anti-glycemic properties associated through a significant decreased Lp(a) and FBS in patients with atherosclerosis supplemented with ginger.

Role of antioxidant property of carvedilol in mild to moderate hypertensive patients: A prospective open-label study

Objective:

Carvedilol is a nonselective third generation β-blocker that does not display the negative effects of traditional β-blockers. Regarding the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and distinct metabolic properties of carvedilol which are similar to that of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1), the present study intends to investigate the effects of carvedilol treatment on malondialdehyde (MDA) and soluble lectin-like ox-low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (sLOX-1) as markers of oxidative stress in association to lipid profiles, apolipoproteins (apo), and PON1 activity in hypertensive patients.

Patients and Methods:

This clinical trial study was performed on forty patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. Subjects were studied before and after 2 months treatment with carvedilol, 25 mg daily. Lipids and lipoproteins were measured using a biochemistry analyzer. PON and arylesterase activity were assayed using paraoxon and phenyl acetate as substrates, respectively. MDA was quantified using a chemical colorimetric assay. ELISA was used to measure sLOX-1.

Results:

Our results showed that carvedilol treatment decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure as much as forty and 16 mmHg, respectively (P < 0.001). It also increased HDL, total cholesterol, and serum PON1 activity (P < 0.05), but the levels of triglyceride, LDL, apo A-I, and apo B did not significantly change. There was an inverse correlation between serum PON1 activity and serum MDA.

Conclusion:

This study confirmed the antihypertensive effect of the drug and its beneficial metabolic effects through augmenting HDL and PON1 activity. We propose that the antioxidant effects of carvedilol can be partially attributed to increased PON-1 activity.