P02.118
Purpose: The majority of probiotic research has focused on the gastrointestinal tract and the microbiome. However, emerging research indicates that probiotics may also have clinical applications in the cardiovascular system, including the reduction of blood cholesterol levels. Several bacterial probiotic strains have been shown to lower cholesterol in human subjects. Saccharomyces boulardii, a probiotic yeast that has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of certain gastrointestinal illnesses, may also affect cholesterol levels. If probiotic S. boulardii does lower cholesterol levels, it may provide an alternative or adjunctive therapy to standard lipid-lowering medications. This study aimed to examine the effect of S. boulardii on standard blood cholesterol levels, as well as lipoprotein particles and additional cardiovascular biomarkers in hypercholesterolemic adults.
Methods: Twelve hypercholesterolemic participants were recruited into a single-arm, open-label pilot study. Participants took encapsulated S. boulardii daily over an 8-week period. Outcome measures included cholesterol levels (total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides), lipoprotein particles (VLDL-P, remnant lipoprotein (RLP-P), total LDL-P, LDL III-P, LDL IV-P, total HDL-P, HDL 2b-P), and additional cardiovascular biomarkers (apo B-100, lipoprotein (a), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, homocysteine, fibrinogen, and insulin).
Results: Eight weeks of daily supplementation with S. boulardii resulted in non-significant decreases in total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides. There was a 15.46% reduction in remnant lipoprotein particles (RLP-P), which was statistically significant (p=0.033). Levels of additional lipoprotein particles and cardiovascular biomarkers were not significantly altered.
Conclusion: Saccharomyces boulardii supplementation lowers remnant lipoprotein, a highly atherogenic lipoprotein particle, in hypercholesterolemic adults. Although the reductions in standard cholesterol levels were not significant in this pilot study, they were similar to changes reported in previous studies that examined the effect of probiotics on cholesterol levels. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility and promise of a more highly-powered future investigation.
Contact: Jennifer Ryan, jryan@ncnm.edu
