ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effects of policosanol on serum lipid and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in patients with hyperlipidemia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This randomized, open study included 72 patients with hyperlipidemia. The patients were randomly assigned to treatment group (policosanol, 20 mg/d, n = 36) or placebo group (placebo, two tablets/d, n = 36). The levels of serum lipids, hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), HO-1 were assessed before and after 16 weeks treatment. Drug-induced adverse effects and events were recorded during the observation period. The serum HO-1 was measured by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) After 16 weeks, all parameters remained unchanged in the placebo group; the level of TC decreased from (7.01 ± 1.03) mmol/L to (5.66 ± 0.83) mmol/L (-19.4%, P < 0.01), the level of LDL-C decreased from (4.78 ± 0.72) mmol/L to (3.70 ± 0.69) mmol/L (-22.5%, P < 0.01) in the treatment group. TG and HDL-C levels remained unchanged (P > 0.05) while the level of HO-1 significantly decreased from (1.82 ± 1.08) µg/L to (1.45 ± 0.81) µg/L (P < 0.01) and the level of hs-CRP decreased from (3.40 ± 3.64) mg/L to (1.86 ± 2.02) mg/L (P < 0.01) in the treatment group. (2) Safety index was similar between placebo and treatment groups (P > 0.05) and there was no adverse events including allergic reaction, muscle pain in all subjects during the observation period.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The short-term data obtained from this small hyperlipidemia patient cohort suggest that policosanol is a safe lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory agent for hyperlipidemia patients.</p>