Potential additive effects of garcinia cambogia on atorvastatin treated hyperlipidemic patients: randomized crossover clinical study

Background: Dyslipidemia is a major risk factor linking in the direction of the progression of ischemic heart diseases, which is measured to be the chief principal reason of international morbidity and mortality. Numerous lessons seeming for substitute treatments include attempted herbal medicine for reducing the expansion of ischemic heart and vascular diseases. Along with herbs with hypolipidemic actions were garlic, garcinia cambogia, gum guggul and others plants. Garcinia cambogia is an herbal agent found in different fruit plants inhibit lipid synthesis via its active materials hydroxycitric acid that inhibit cytoplasmic adenosine triphosphate-dependent citrate lyase, which responsible for hepatic lipogenesis in dose dependent manner. Thus, the objective of this experimental research was for elucidation the potential combined effects of atorvastatin and garcinia cambogia resting on lipid profile in hyperlipidemic patients. Methods: A total of 25 hyperlipidemic patients enrolled in this clinical trial under scientific approval committee and spoken consent taken from all patients. Five patients were withdrawn from this study due to incompliance so, only 20 patients (12 males + 8 females) continue this clinical trial. All patients not took any medications through 2 weeks and all non-diabetic or hypertensive with age ranged 45-65 years. The patients divided into two groups: Group A: 10 patients (4 females + 6 males) take atorvastatin 40/day. Group B: 10 patients (6 males + 4 females) take atorvastatin 40/day + garcinia cambogia 500/day. The duration of treatment was 8 weeks, and baseline lipid profile measurements were done and regarded as control. Results: The atorvastatin effects during 8 weeks treatment at dose of 40 mg/day produced significant effects on all lipid profile p < 0.05, mainly on serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and less significant effects on atherogenic index (AI), triglyceride and very LDL (VLDL). While garcinia cambogia produced significant reductions in serum lipid and improve other lipid parameters, garcinia cambogia 500 mg/day significantly improve serum cholesterol, VLDL, and LDL p < 0.05 but produced insignificant effect on high-density lipoprotein and AI p >0.05. The combined effects of garcinia cambogia 500 mg/day and atorvastatin 40 mg/day showed significant effects on all lipid profiles and AI p < 0.05. Conclusion: This study scrutinizes the value of garcinia cambogia in treatment of hyperlipidemia alone or in combination with atorvastatin. It produced significant additive effect with atorvastatin and hence atorvastatine doses can be reduced and substituted with garcinia cambogia for reduction serious atorvastatin associated adverse effects.