Phytosterols and Policosanol as Adjunctive or Alternative Therapies to Statin Drug

HYTOSTEROLS AND POLICOSANOL HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE SERUM LEVELS OF LDL AND TOTAL CHOLESTEROL. The development of esterification of phytosterols allowing them to be incorporated into easily consumed foods such as enriched margarines and the development of functional foods has led to a renewed interest. More recently policosanol has been investigated for its potent cholesterol-lowering effect which rivals the clinical response seen with statin drugs. A therapeutic dose range of 2-3 g/d of phytosterols or 10-20 mg/d of policosanol have been shown to consistently reduce LDL-c by 10-20% and 20-30% respectively. Neither has been found to produce any significant side effects. Phytosterols and policosanol are useful for lowering total and LDL serum cholesterol in persons with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia.