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Science Corner

Vitamin B(5) Favorably Implicated in Lowering Cholesterol in North Americans with Low-to-Moderate Cardiovascular Risk

Researchers investigated the effect of vitamin B(5) (pantethine) on total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in low to moderate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk North American subjects. A total of 120 subjects initiated a therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) diet 4 weeks before randomization (baseline) and maintained the diet throughout a 16-week study period. At baseline, subjects were randomized in a triple-blinded manner to either pantethine (600 mg/d, baseline to week 8, and 900 mg/d, weeks 9-16) or placebo (n = 60 per group). While sustaining a TLC diet and in comparison with placebo, pantethine demonstrated significant (P < .005) and sustained reductions (from baseline to week 16) in TC (6 mg/dL, 0.16 mmol/L, 3%), LDL-C (4 mg/dL, 0.10 mmol/L, 4%), and apolipoprotein B (4 mg/dL, 0.04 g/L, 5%). The researchers say their data suggests that pantethine supplementation for 16 weeks (600 mg/d for weeks 1-8 then 900 mg/d for weeks 9-16) is saf e and significantly lowers TC and LDL-C over and above the effect of TLC diet alone. Although the absolute magnitude of these effects was small, the results are noteworthy as prior studies have shown that, for each 1 mg/dL (0.026 mmol/L) reduction in LDL-C, there is a concomitant 1% reduction in overall future CVD risk.

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