Evidence map›Paper›PMID 19109655›Full record

ArticleFood & nutrition research2008

Plant sterols/stanols as cholesterol lowering agents: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Suhad S Abumweis, Roula Barake, Peter J H Jones

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Food & nutrition research, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 87 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
87citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
17.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

87 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 363 citations in OpenAlex.

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  7. Combined effect of plant sterols and dietary fiber for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia.Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands) · 2014
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27 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Suhad S AbumweisSchool of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada (SSA and RB).
Roula Barake
Peter J H Jones
McGill University · CAUniversity of Manitoba · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundConsumption of plant sterols has been reported to reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations by 5-15%. Factors that affect plant sterol efficacy are still to be determined.

objectivesTo more precisely quantify the effect of plant sterol enriched products on LDL cholesterol concentrations than what is reported previously, and to identify and quantify the effects of subjects' characteristics, food carrier, frequency and time of intake on efficacy of plant sterols as cholesterol lowering agents.

designFifty-nine eligible randomized clinical trials published from 1992 to 2006 were identified from five databases. Weighted mean effect sizes were calculated for net differences in LDL levels using a random effect model.

resultsPlant sterol containing products decreased LDL levels by 0.31 mmol/L (95% CI, -0.35 to -0.27, P= < 0.0001) compared with placebo. Between trial heterogeneity was evident (Chi-square test, P = <0.0001) indicating that the observed differences between trial results were unlikely to have been caused by chance. Reductions in LDL levels were greater in individuals with high baseline LDL levels compared with those with normal to borderline baseline LDL levels. Reductions in LDL were greater when plant sterols were incorporated into fat spreads, mayonnaise and salad dressing, milk and yoghurt comparing with other food products such as croissants and muffins, orange juice, non-fat beverages, cereal bars, and chocolate. Plant sterols consumed as a single morning dose did not have a significant effect on LDL cholesterol levels.

conclusionPlant sterol containing products reduced LDL concentrations but the reduction was related to individuals' baseline LDL levels, food carrier, and frequency and time of intake.

Indexed as

food carrierintake frequencyLDL cholesterolmeta-analysisplant sterolssingle dose

Identifiers

PMID19109655
PMCPMC2596710
OpenAlexW2014733253

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.