Cholestyramine plus pectin in treatment of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia

The effects of a combined therapy, composed of a cholesterol-lowering diet, cholestyramine (16 g/day) and apple pectin (12 g/day), were studied on serum lipoproteins in 6 men with familial hypercholesterolemia. All subjects were treated with diet alone, diet plus cholestyramine and diet plus cholestyramine and pectin for at least 8 weeks on each regimen. In these severely hypercholesterolemic subjects the combined treatment with diet plus cholestyramine and pectin lowered serum cholesterol by 31% and LDL-cholesterol by 35% corresponding to a 19% and 22% further decrease respectively relative to diet plus cholestyramine. We conclude that the addition of the well-tolerated natural cholesterol-lowering product is valuable in the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia.