Assessing the independent effect of dietary counseling and hypolipidemic medications on serum lipids.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine the impact of dietary counseling alone versus combined dietary counseling and drug therapy on total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels.
Results Summary
Dietary counseling alone (Group 2) and combined with drug therapy (Group 3) significantly reduced TC and TG levels, with greater reductions observed in the combined approach. Drug therapy alone (Group 4) did not significantly lower lipid levels without dietary counseling.
Population
70 subjects divided into four treatment groups, with varying interventions and follow-up periods.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Dietary counseling duration varied (6 months for Group 3, unspecified for Group 2); follow-up ranged from 18 to 36 months.
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
no dietary counseling or drug therapy | no change | total cholesterol and triglyceride levels | subjects in groups 1 and 4 | no significant improvement | demonstrated no significant improvement | #1 |
dietary counseling | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride levels | patients in groups 2 and 3 | - | showed significant reductions | #2 |
dietary counseling for six months and drug therapy for eighteen months | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride levels | patients in groups 2 and 3 | - | showed significant reductions | #3 |
dietary counseling | decrease | total cholesterol | patients in group 3 | - | improvement was reduced after dietary counseling ceased | #4 |
dietary intervention | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride levels | patients | - | is necessary if patients are to statistically significantly reduce | #5 |
drug therapy | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride levels | - | - | demonstrated the expected reductions | #6 |
drug therapy | no change | lipid levels | - | no significant change | did not statistically significantly lower | #7 |
dietary counseling and hypolipidemic medications | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride values | - | - | reductions are even greater than those seen with dietary effect alone | #8 |
diet control alone | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride levels | - | - | appears to significantly reduce | #9 |
diet control alone | decrease | antianginal medications | - | - | resulting in reduced need for | #10 |
Determination of changes in total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels has focused primarily on hypolipidemic drug effects. Changes resulting from dietary effect alone versus diet and drug effect have not yet been fully established. Seventy subjects were enrolled into four treatment groups to determine the impact of diet and drug effect upon TC and TG. Group 1 (n = 28) served as the control group and received no dietary counseling or drug therapy. Group 2 (n = 22) received dietary counseling. Group 3 (n = 7) underwent dietary counseling for six months and drug therapy for eighteen months. Subjects in groups 1-3 were monitored for eighteen months. Patients in group 4 (n = 13) were followed up for thirty-six months. No intervention occurred during the first eighteen months, and hypolipidemic medications were used during the second eighteen-month period. Subjects in groups 1 and 4 received no specific dietary counseling and demonstrated no significant improvement over the course of the study. Patients in groups 2 and 3 showed significant reductions in both TC and TG. The improvement in TC seen for patients in group 3 was reduced after dietary counseling ceased. Dietary intervention is necessary if patients are to statistically significantly reduce TC and TG levels. Drug therapy demonstrated the expected reductions in both TC and TG but did not statistically significantly lower lipid levels without concomitant dietary counseling. When dietary counseling and hypolipidemic medications are used together, reductions in TC and TG values are even greater than those seen with dietary effect alone. Diet control alone appears to significantly reduce TC and TG levels, resulting in reduced need for antianginal medications.