Effects of garlic on body mass index and serum lipids in elderly patients with hyperlipidemia

AIM To observe the effects of garlic on body mass index and serum lipids in elderly hyperlipidemia patients. METHODSOne hundred and sixty elderly hyperlipidemia patients were divided into treatment group (n=80) and control group (n=80). The treatment group was treated with garlic capsules, whereas the control group was treated with placebo capsules. The general status, body mass index (BMI), serum total cholesterol (TC), serum triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), blood viscosity, and liver and kidney functions were compared before and after treatment. RESULTSOne hundred and twenty-seven patients completed the treatment. In the treatment group (n=65), BMI, TC, TG and LDL-C were, respectively, (25.1±5.2), (4.8±1.3) mmol/L, (1.4±1.1) mmol/L and (2.6±0.7) mmol/L, lower than those in the control group (n=62), and HDL-C was (1.5±0.7) mmol/L, higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONGarlic compared with placebo can effectively reduce serum lipids and body mass index in elderly hyperlipidemic patients.