The pharmacist's friend Xiao Wang checked out high cholesterol and other indicators half a year ago, was diagnosed with hyperlipidemia, ate Western medicine for a period of time, the psychology is always muttering, afraid of the side effects of Western medicine, he searched for relevant information on the Internet. The results found that the Internet said that red yeast can lower blood lipids, bought a lot of red yeast and health care products containing red yeast ingredients, but also unauthorized decision to stop the Western medicine, when reviewing again, found that the indicators are not improving, so long the medicine has been eaten in vain, she is now very confused, where does the problem appear?
The following pharmacist will come to talk to you about red yeast and let's correctly understand it.
What is hyperlipidemia
Hyperlipidemia is often referred to as hyperlipidemia, also known as dyslipidemia in medicine, usually refers to the increase in triglycerides and total cholesterol in plasma, but also includes elevated LDL cholesterol and decreased HDL cholesterol, which can directly cause some serious diseases that endanger human health, such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, pancreatitis, etc.
Typically, most patients do not have obvious symptoms and signs of abnormalities. Many people do not find that plasma lipoprotein levels are elevated when they undergo blood biochemical tests for other reasons.
Statins are current
The most effective lipid-lowering drug
Statins can not only effectively reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, but also to a certain extent, can reduce triacylglycerol, but also increase high-density lipoprotein, both can play a role in reducing blood lipids, stabilizing plaque, but also can improve vascular endothelial cells, anti-intravascular inflammation, stabilize plaque, avoid myocardial infarction, so his statins can also be called more comprehensive lipid modulators.
Among statins, atorvastatin, simvastatin and rosuvastatin are the three commonly used, the dosage is different, the adverse reactions are mild and short-lived when the conventional dose is applied, but some patients may still have rhabdomyolysis, liver enzyme abnormalities, hemorrhagic stroke risk and other adverse drug reactions during taking the drug. [1] As a result, some patients feel that statin application is unsafe and are afraid to take them for a long time.
Duang Duang, here to restore the reputation of statins. The trial showed that long-term use of statin lipid-modulating drugs can significantly reduce the mortality rate of patients with coronary heart disease, reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events, significantly improve the prognosis of patients with cardiovascular disease, and show that if there is no statin adverse reaction, it should be taken for a long time, and the longer the time, the greater the patient's benefit. [2]
Red yeast rice has a hypolipidemic effect
Red yeast is red yeast rice formed by the mycelium parasitism of the fungus Aspergillus flavus on japonica rice. As a traditional Chinese medicine, red yeast rice is sweet and slightly warm. It has the effect of strengthening the spleen and stomach digestion, activating blood and dissolving stasis and relieving pain. The "Supplement to the Derivation of Materia Medica" calls it "invigorating blood and digesting food, strengthening the spleen and warming the stomach".
The "Materia Medica" says: "Red yeast, digestion of healthy spleen and stomach is the same as the Divine Comedy, and the blood and wounds are alive, but the red yeast is able to do it." It is often used for dietary stagnation, abdominal distension, red and white diarrhea, postpartum lochia, and bruises. It is preferable to be red and crispy and aged for a long time. [3]
It is worth noting that red yeast rice is susceptible to moisture, once damp, it will be contaminated by harmful microorganisms, gradually mildew, agglomerate insects, so when preserved, it should be placed in a dry environment. [4]
In 1976, Professor Endo of Tokyo A&M University in Japan found that a class of substances that can inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol were extracted from Aspergillus flavouris, called Monacolin (Monacolin), of which Monacolin K is now called lovastatin.
There are many statin analogues contained in red yeast, of which the highest content and most representative is Monacolin K (lovastatin), that is, natural statins can be extracted from red yeast, of which lovastatin is the mainstay. [5]
In 1996, the drug "Blood Lipid Kang", which was approved for the marketing in China for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, was made by refining red yeast.
Red Yeast Is On Its Own
Can it overcome high blood lipids?
If you don't have lipid problems, you don't have to take red yeast rice for a long time, in the British Medical Journal Case Report, researchers note that red yeast rice contains Monacolin K, the same active chemical in the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin, and therefore has the same risk of liver damage.
If your lipid profile does not meet the "hyperlipidemia" prescribed by medicine, you can take red yeast rice in moderation.
If you already have coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction and other diseases, it is generally difficult to achieve a therapeutic effect if you want to rely solely on red yeast to lower lipids. [5]
Buy red yeast from regular channels
Patients often ask, there are red yeast rice sold in the market, the price is very cheap, can it be used medicinally?
The pharmacist recommends that you buy red yeast through formal channels. Red yeast produces a lipid-lowering effect, which requires the fermentation of erythrinomycin through certain temperature and humidity conditions, and erythrinomycin reaches a certain amount, in order to induce red yeast rice to produce lovastatin substances, thereby producing a lipid-lowering effect.
bibliography:
Gao Xin. The value and nursing experience of statins in the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease[J].Drug Evaluation,2019,16(14):4-6,15.
[2] Na Kaixian, Zhang Guiyun, Xu Wento, et al. The importance of lipid modulation therapy and the rational use of statins[J].Chinese Clinicians,2012,40(9):3-7.
ZHANG Wengao. Clinical observation and mechanism of lipid-lowering red yeast microfabrium and red yeast preparation blood lipid kang intervention in atherosclerosis[C].Proceedings of the 8th National Academic Conference on The Evidence of Blood Stasis in Combination of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine and the Study of Blood Stasis Activation.2010:435-437.
Shao Shihai. Discussion on the health care value of red yeast rice[C].Proceedings of the 2012 Nanjing International Forum on Traditional Chinese Medicine and inaugural meeting of the World Health Promotion Federation.2012:340-342.
Wu Shimin,Qiu Yingping. Red Yeast Rice Irreplaceable Hypolipidemic Drugs[J].Food and Health,2020,(2):42.
Author: Liu Yan, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine