A study was published in the December issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Nutrition & Metabolism demonstrating that the FIrstLine Therapy Lifestyle Change Program lowers cardiac risk factors better than a modified Mediterranean diet alone.
"Our results clearly show that highly targeted phytochemicals (selective kinase response modulators derived from hops and acacia plus soy protein, and plant sterols) used in conjunction with a lifestyle intervention program of diet and exercise, can dramatically improve risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease," said study co-author Jeffrey Bland, PhD, FACN.
During a 12-week open-label, randomized, 2-group study, 44 patients with metabolic syndrome (a cluster of factors that increases a person's risk to developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke) were placed on a therapeutic lifestyle change program (FLT) that included a Mediterranean-style, low-glycemic-load (LGL) diet with no calorie restrictions and a goal of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week.
Subjects in the intervention group additionally received the ingredients in UltraMeal PLUS® 360, a Metagenics medical food containing:
* Soy protein and plant sterols (shown to promote healthy cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease)
* Selective kinase response modulators (SKRMs) derived from hops and acacia (shown in earlier studies by Metagenics to positively affect the way cells utilize insulin and promote healthy triglyceride levels).
Both groups experienced similar weight loss despite having no calorie restrictions. However, the intervention group showed significantly better results in the following key cardiovascular risk factors:
- Statistically greater reductions in cholesterol, triglycerides, cholesterol/HDL ratio, and triglyceride/HDL ratio
- Significant increase in HDL ("good") cholesterol
- Persistent lowering effects on apoB, considered a better indicator of cardiovascular disease than total cholesterol or LDL ("bad") cholesterol
- Persistent lowering effects on apoB/apoA-1 ratio, a newly recognized, important indicator of cardiovascular disease risk
- Greater reduction in the Framingham 10-year CVD risk score
As the world's dietary patterns have become more westernized, the incidence of lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes has grown dramatically. Leading health organizations such as the American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) now recommend therapeutic lifestyle changes including diet and exercise as first-line interventions for treating these and other chronic conditions. (The AHA and NIH do not endorse and are not associated with Metagenics.) "We believe our results may have important implications for preventing and managing some of today's most prevalent lifestyle-related chronic diseases," said Bland.
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