Atherosclerosis

Why it works: Lower triglycerides & remnant cholesterol (RC). EPA/DHA reliably cut fasting triglycerides; lowering triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and RC addresses a causal pathway in atheroscler...

Instructions: Who qualifies (per label/guidelines): Adults on statins with TG ≥150 mg/dL plus established CVD or diabetes + ≥1 risk factor. DailyMed. Dose: 4 g/day as 2 g twice daily with food (...

Warnings: Atrial fibrillation/flutter: Higher rates were seen with icosapent ethyl in REDUCE-IT and are flagge...

Studies: REDUCE-IT (NEJM 2018): 8,179 statin-treated patients with TG...

Why it works: Mechanistic rationale: CoQ10 is a mitochondrial cofactor and lipophilic antioxidant; it improves endothelial nitric-oxide bioavailability and reduces oxidative stress—pathways cent...

Instructions: Form & dose: Common clinical trial doses are 100–300 mg/day, often split 2–3 doses; the KiSel-10 program used 200 mg/day with selenium (not specific to atherosclerosis). Take with...

Warnings: Drug interactions: May interact with warfarin (possible reduction of anticoagulant effect; INR monit...

Studies: Endothelial function: Meta-analyses show improved FMD after...

Why it works: Antioxidant + anti-inflammatory actions. Hawthorn extracts are rich in flavonoids and oligomeric procyanidins that can reduce LDL oxidation, scavenge reactive oxygen species, and d...

Instructions: Standardized extracts & dosing (adults):. • WS 1442 (leaf/flower extract, often standardized to ≈18.75–20% oligomeric procyanidins): total daily doses commonly 160–900 mg/day in di...

Warnings: Insufficient evidence for atherosclerosis: NIH/NCCIH: not enough evidence for angina, arrhythmia, or...

Studies: Atherosclerosis outcomes (plaque, ASCVD events):No high-qual...

Why it works: Small improvements in lipids & blood pressure. The U.S. NIH’s NCCIH notes that garlic supplements can modestly lower total and LDL cholesterol and may slightly reduce blood pressur...

Instructions: Choose a standardized product. Trials that showed plaque benefits used Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) (commercial Kyolic-type preparations). Kyolic® Kardio. Dose used in RCTs:. • 2,400...

Warnings: Bleeding risk & surgery. Garlic supplements can increase bleeding risk (antiplatelet effect). Tell y...

Studies: Imaging (atherosclerosis progression)RCT—J Nutr 2016. AGE 2,...

Why it works: Atherosclerosis is driven by endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and thrombosis. Curcumin has actions on each:. • Anti-inflammatory signaling (NF...

Instructions: Form & dose seen in studies. • Standard curcumin or curcumin+piperine: A common RCT regimen is 500 mg curcumin + 5 mg piperine once daily for 12 weeks, improving inflammatory/oxida...

Warnings: Drug interactions—bleeding risk: Curcumin/turmeric may potentiate anticoagulants/antiplatelets (e.g....

Studies: Endothelial function (early atherosclerosis marker)Systemati...

Why it works: Lipid effects (TG, LDL-C): Multiple meta-analyses of randomized trials report that ginger supplementation produces small but statistically significant improvements in lipid profile...

Instructions: Forms & typical study doses. • Capsules/powder: Most RCTs used 1–3 g/day of dried ginger powder, often ~2 g/day, for 8–12 weeks; some trials used 3 g/day (1 g with meals). ScienceD...

Warnings: Anticoagulants/antiplatelets: Evidence for anti-platelet effects in humans is mixed, but caution is...

Studies: Human evidence (risk-factor outcomes)Lipid profile: Systemat...

Why it works: Antioxidant & anti-inflammatory actions: Standardized leaf extracts (e.g., EGb 761®) contain flavone glycosides and terpene lactones that can scavenge reactive oxygen species and m...

Instructions: Form: Use standardized leaf extract, typically 24% flavone glycosides / 6% terpene lactones (e.g., EGb 761)—not crude powder, tea, or seeds. This standardization is the basis for m...

Warnings: Bleeding risk & drug interactions: Ginkgo’s antiplatelet properties can increase bleeding, especiall...

Studies: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) / intermittent claudicatio...

Why it works: Atherosclerosis is driven by endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid abnormalities, and vascular “aging.” Lab and animal studies suggest Astragalus (and its...

Instructions: Common clinical-tradition ranges & forms you’ll see:. • Dried root (decoction/tea): Historically 9–30 g/day boiled as a decoction; higher short-term doses have been used in TCM und...

Warnings: Interactions with medications. Immunosuppressants (e.g., after transplant, autoimmune therapy): Astr...

Studies: There are no large, high-quality randomized trials showing A...

Why it works: Statin-like mechanism. Many RYR extracts contain monacolin K, which is chemically identical to lovastatin and inhibits HMG-CoA reductase, lowering LDL-cholesterol—the key driver of...

Instructions: 1) Product choice. • Prefer standardized, clinician-supervised formulations. Potency of OTC supplements varies >60-fold and labels usually don’t disclose monacolin K content; some...

Warnings: Same risks as statins when monacolin K is present: myopathy/rhabdomyolysis, hepatotoxicity, and drug...

Studies: Hard outcomes (post-heart-attack secondary prevention)China...

Why it works: Pleiotropic vascular actions (mechanistic plausibility). Danshen’s major constituents—phenolic acids (e.g., salvianolic acid B/danshensu) and diterpene quinones (e.g., tanshinone I...

Instructions: Forms you’ll see. • Crude root / decoction (traditional use).. • Standardized oral extracts / tablets (composition varies widely).. • Injectables (e.g., STS) used in China; typical...

Warnings: Bleeding risk & drug interactions. • Warfarin/anticoagulants/antiplatelets: Danshen can potentiate a...

Studies: Coronary/atherosclerotic disease (overall): Many Chinese RCT...

Why it works: Atherosclerosis is driven by endothelial dysfunction, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Bioactives in hibiscus—especially anthocyanins (e.g., d...

Instructions: Forms and doses used in studies:. • Tea (infusion of dried calyces):. • • Common clinical protocols: 1–3 cups/day, each brewed with ~3–10 g dried calyces in 150–250 mL hot water; s...

Warnings: Blood-pressure medications (ACE inhibitors/ARBs, diuretics): Additive hypotensive effects reported;...

Studies: Blood pressure (human RCTs):McKay et al., randomized, double...