Effects of modified lingguizhugan decoction combined with weekend fasting on metabolic syndrome

To assess the therapeutic effect of weekend fasting and administration of a modified Lingguizhugan decoction on metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Twenty-one patients with MetS were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 30-min and 2-h post-prandial blood glucose (PG), fasting serum insulin (FINS), blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), and levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were tested. Patients were allowed to drink only water and a Chinese herbal decoction during weekends. All samples were tested again after 12 weeks of treatment.

FPG, 30-min PG, 2-h PG, FINIS, LDL-C, systolic BP, diastolic BP, BMI, WC, and HOMA-IR decreased significantly (P < 0.05) compared with before treatment. Levels of TG, TC, and HDL-C did not change significantly.

Weekend fasting improved glucose metabolism, lowered BP, reduced LDL-C levels, BMI, and WC. These data suggest that weekend fasting may be an effective therapy for MetS by protection against coronary atherosclerosis.