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Supplementing the diet with antioxidant
vitamins and minerals appears to blunt the beneficial effects
of certain cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Their findings suggest that patients
with coronary artery disease who
are taking Zocor and niacin should steer clear of supplements
containing vitamins E and C, beta-carotene or selenium.
Patients who took a "cocktail"
of these four antioxidants along with Zocor and niacin had
smaller increases in HDL ("good") cholesterol levels
over a 1-year period, compared with patients who took the
medications alone, the investigators found.
Zocor and niacin have been shown to reduce total cholesterol
and LDL ("bad") cholesterol while boosting levels
of HDL, which helps cut the risk of heart disease.
The findings, however, do
not suggest that patients avoid fruits and vegetables,
which are naturally rich in antioxidants and contain a number
of other compounds that may protect against heart disease.
The findings were based on antioxidant
supplements and not foods that are naturally rich
in antioxidants.
After one year, patients on Zocor and
niacin alone saw their HDL increase by an average of 25%,
while HDL levels rose by an average of 18% among patients
on the medications plus antioxidants.
What's more, the HDL component responsible
for most of its protective effects increased by an average
of 42% with medication, but remained unchanged among patients
who added the antioxidant cocktail.
Arteriosclerosis,
Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology August 2001;21:1253, 1319-1325
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