The Effect of Isoflavone Supplement on Plasma Lipids & Antioxidant Status in Hypercholesterolemic Postmenopausal Women

ABSTRACT

Postmenopausal women are at an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease. This is due to primarily dyslipidemia accompanying the loss of estrogen secretion. Soy isoflavones are known to have weak estrogenic effects. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether isoflavone supplement improves the risk of cardiovascular disease in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women. Subjects consisted of 39 Korean postmenopausal women with hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol > or = 200 mg/dl or LDL cholesterol > or = 130 mg/dl). Subjects were divided into 2 groups; placebo group (PG), isoflavone supplement group (IG). During 12 weeks, subjects were given placebo and 80mg isoflavone daily. Anthropometric measurement, blood sample analysis and dietary intake measurement were taken at baseline and after 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, systolic blood pressure was decreased significantly (p<0.01) and plasma HDL cholesterol level was increased significantly (p<0.05) in IG. But there were no significant changes in plasma total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels after isoflavone supplementation. There was a negative correlation between initial plasma HDL cholesterol level and the extent of plasma HDL cholesterol reduction in IG (r=-0.572, p=0.012). Atherogenic index (AI), total-/LDL- cholesterol ratio and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio were improved significantly after isoflavone supplementation. In subjects whose initial plasma LDL cholesterol level were above 160 mg/dl, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) level were decreased and total antioxidant status (TAS) were increased significantly after isoflavone supplement (p<0.05). However there were no significant changes in flow-mediated dilator (FMD), the marker of endothelium-dependent vasodilation and nitroglycerine-mediated dilator (NMD), the marker of endothelium-independent vasodilation and the extent of DNA damage after isoflavone supplement. In conclusion, these results indicate that isoflavone supplement may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease via improving blood pressure, HDL cholesterol level and AI in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women. Futhermore, in case of subjects with elevated LDL cholesterol level, isoflavone supplementation may have more antiatherogenic effects via improving antioxidant status.