New Slant on Hyperlipidemia

Research study was conducted to examine the effects of psyllium on different types of lipids in primary hyperlipidemic patients. It was conducted in JPMC Karachi, Pakistan, from December 2008 to June 2009. Forty hyperlipidemic patients were included, in research. Out of these 40, twenty patients were on placebo as control/compare group, and twenty were on psyllium, 10 grams daily for the period of three months. Exclusion criteria was patients with hypothyroidism, alcoholism, renal and hepatic disease. Serum cholesterol and triglycerides were estimated by the enzymatic calorimetric method. Serum HDL-Cholesterol was determined by direct method, at day zero and at last day of the treatment. LDL-Cholesterol was calculated by Friedwald formula (LDL= Tc-(TG/5 + HDL-C). Data were expressed as the mean +/- SD and "t" test was applied to determine statistical significance of results. P value lesser than 0.05 was the limit of significance. When results compiled it was observed that two patients discontinued to take drug given, due to metallic test of psyllium husk. Psyllium decreased serum total cholesterol from 228.27 +/- 4.89 mg/dl to 199.22 +/- 2.30 mg/dl, triglycerides from 169.27 +/- 9.92 mg/dl to 164.5 +/- 8.56 mg/dl, LDL-Cholesterol from 159.72 +/- 5.70 to 129.55 +/- 2.81 mg/dl, and increased serum HDL-Cholesterol from 34.61 +/- 1.85 to 36.77 +/- 1.96 mg/dl in three months of treatment. Results of all parameters were significant when paired, t. test was applied for result analysis. At end of the research work we concluded that psyllium is very effective agent to maintain lipid profile parameters at normal limits in hyperlipidemic patients.