UCLA researchers seek adults who are currently taking a statin medication to help evaluate a palm oil supplement for lowering cholesterol levels.
To qualify for the study, volunteers need to be age 35-70, currently taking a statin medication such as Lovastatin, Lipitor, Crestor, Pravastatin or Simvastatin and who are otherwise in good health.
Palm oil contains the highest levels of tocotrienols, naturally-occurring Vitamin E compounds that are found in foods and may have beneficial effects on cholesterol and hyperlipidemia, a condition of abnormally elevated levels of lipids or fats in the blood.
"Hyperlipidemia is a risk factor for heart disease," said principal investigator Dr. David Heber, professor of medicine and director, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. "The study will help us better understand how palm oil may affect hyperlipidemia."
Participants will come to the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition for five clinic visits over the course of the three-month study. Volunteers will receive physical exams, provide blood samples and be weighed on a Tanida scale to measure the body's lean and fat mass.
After initial screening, volunteers will be randomized (similar to flipping a coin) to receive capsules to be taken orally of either totoctrienol or a placebo. In addition, participants will be required to follow a low-fat diet developed by the American Heart Association during the course of the study. A registered dietician will provide diet instructions.
The research is funded by the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. Volunteers will be compensated for study participation.
For more information, please call the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition at 310-825-8274.
-UCLA-
