Red Yeast Rice and Cholesterol (cont.)
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 Who are suitable candidates for red yeast rice products?There is not yet consensus among scientists and doctors as to the role, if any, of red yeast rice in treating elevated cholesterol. Therefore a doctor familiar with a patient's personal medical condition and his/her family history of heart diseases should be prescribing cholesterol-lowering measures. Generally in the United States, when diet, weight loss, and exercise are insufficient in lowering cholesterol to optimal levels, many doctors recommend using a statin drug since large long-term trials have consistently shown that statins [such as pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), and atorvastatin (Lipitor)] are safe and effective in lowering LDL cholesterol and decreasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Although similar studies are not available for red yeast rice products, given the minimal amounts of cholesterol lowering substances that they are allowed to contain in the U.S., it would be expected that legal red yeast rice products would not be very effective at lowering cholesterol levels. |
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