Shah Murad, Hasan Raza, Aruna Bashir, Amar Lal Ghurbakhshani, Manzoor Ahmad Unar, Moosa Khan.
Atherosclerosis may be prevented by using psyllium husk.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;4(3):255-8.

Research study was conducted to examine the effects of psyllium husk on lipid profile of primary hyperlipidemic patients. It was single blind placebo controlled research study, which was conducted in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan, from December 2008 to June 2009. Forty volunteer primary hyperlipidemic patients were included, in the research. Twenty patients were on placebo as control group, and twenty were on psyllium husk, 10 gram daily, in divided doses, TID, for the period of three months. Patients with hypothyroidism, alcoholism, renal and hepatic disease were excluded from the study, as these pathological conditions mask primary hyperlipidemia. Triglycerides and serum cholesterol were estimated by the enzymatic calorimetric method. Serum HDL-Cholesterol was determined by direct method, at day one and at last day of the treatment. LDL-Cholesterol was calculated by Friedwald formula (LDL= Tc- (TG/5 + HDL-C). Data were expressed as the mean ± SD and “t” test was applied to determine statistical significance of results. P value lesser than 0.05 was the limit of significance. When results compiled it was observed that two patients discontinued to take drug given, due to metallic test of psyllium husk. Psyllium decreased serum total cholesterol from 228.27±4.89 mg/dl to 199.22 ± 2.30 mg/dl, triglycerides from 169.27± 9.92 mg/dl to 164.5±8.56 mg/dl, LDL-Cholesterol from 159.72 ± 5.70 to 129.55± 2.81mg/dl, and increased serum HDL-Cholesterol from 34.61±1.85 to 36.77±1.96 mg/dl in three months of treatment. Results of all parameters were significant when paired ‘t’ test was applied for result analysis. At end of the research work we concluded that psyllium is very effective agent to maintain lipid profile parameters at normal limits in hyperlipidemic patients.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com