[The effect of psyllium plantago in slightly to moderately hypercholesterolemic patients]

The hypocholesterolemic effect of psyllium plantago (PP) was evaluated in 14 individuals with polygenic hypercholesterolemia. Subjects with secondary dyslipidemias were excluded. Since their admission until the end of the study all the patients had to follow an isocaloric diet, with less than 10% of the calories provided as saturated fats, P/S relation greater than 1 and daily intake of less than 300 mgr of cholesterol. The study was divided in two stages; the first one, from week -6 to 0 evaluated exclusively the response to diet, and the stage II, from week 0 to +12, evaluated the response to PP. The PP in envelopes with 3.4 grs each, was taken dissolved in water three times daily before meals. In the weeks -6, 0, +4, +8 and +12 were done lipid profiles that included; total cholesterol, triglycerides, and high density cholesterol. Cholesterol of the low density lipoproteins was obtained with the formula of Friedewald modified by De Long. The use of PP produced at week 12 a reduction of 8% in total cholesterol and 11% in LDL cholesterol. With non significant changes in triglycerides and HDL-C. We conclude that PP can be used as a complement of diet in the management of polygenic hypercholesterolemia.