TABLE 2. Lipid concentrations of hyperlipidemic subjects receiving 2.4 g red yeast rice in capsules (treatment) or rice powder placebo (control) supplements daily¹

Treatment group (n = 42) Control group (n = 41) Baseline Week 8 Week 12 Baseline Week 8 Week 12 mmol/L mmol/L Triacylglycerols 1.50 ± 0.54 1.33 ± 0.462,3 1.40 ± 0.502 1.61 ± 0.52 1.60 ± 0.59 1.65 ± 0.53 Total cholesterol 6.47 ± 0.78 5.38 ± 0.802,3 5.43 ± 0.802,3 6.59 ± 0.75 6.57 ± 0.93 6.47 ± 0.93 HDL cholesterol 1.29 ± 0.34 1.29 ± 0.34 1.29 ± 0.36 1.19 ± 0.26 1.19 ± 0.26 1.19 ± 0.28 LDL cholesterol 4.47 ± 0.70 3.47 ± 0.702,3 3.49 ± 0.702,3 4.65 ± 0.78 4.63 ± 0.83 4.53 ± 0.85 1 x ± SD. Conversion factor to mg/dL for triacylglycerols, 0.01129; for cholesterol, 0.02586. 2Significantly different from baseline, P < 0.05. 3Significantly different from control group at the same week, P < 0.05.