ArticleEuropean journal of nutrition2013
The effect of plant sterols on serum triglyceride concentrations is dependent on baseline concentrations: a pooled analysis of 12 randomised controlled trials.
Article in European journal of nutrition, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 102 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of phytosterol-rich foods on lipid profile and inflammatory markers in patients with hyperlipidemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Phytosterol compositions of enriched products influence their cholesterol-lowering efficacy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2019Pooled it
- A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Study of the Effects of a Nutraceutical Combination (LEVELIP DUONutrients · 2020Trial
- Trial
- A low-fat spread with added plant sterols and fish omega-3 fatty acids lowers serum triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in individuals with modest hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia.European journal of nutrition · 2019Trial
- Effects of a Novel Nutraceutical Combination (Aquilea ColesterolNutrients · 2019Trial
- Plant sterols lower LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides in dyslipidemic individuals with or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes; a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Nutrition & diabetes · 2018Trial
- Lipidomic changes of LDL in overweight and moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects taking phytosterol- and omega-3-supplemented milk.Journal of lipid research · 2015Trial
- Mediterranean Dietary Pattern in Type 2 Diabetes Management: Pathways and Clinical Evidence.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- High cholesterol absorption efficiency enhances proatherogenic properties of low-density lipoprotein particles.Journal of internal medicine · 2026Article
- Review
- Relevance of Lipoprotein Composition in Endothelial Dysfunction and the Development of Hypertension.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Cholesterol-Lowering Bioactive Foods and Nutraceuticals in Pediatrics: Clinical Evidence of Efficacy and Safety.Nutrients · 2024Review
- A scoping review on natural cholesterol lowering supplements sold in South African pharmacies.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2024Article
- Article
- Efficacy of Submicron Dispersible Free Phytosterols on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Pilot Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Nutraceutical Approaches to Dyslipidaemia: The Main Formulative Issues Preventing Efficacy.Nutrients · 2022Review
- Article
- Phytosterols, Cholesterol Control, and Cardiovascular Disease.Nutrients · 2021Review
- Nutraceuticals in the Management of Dyslipidemia: Which, When, and for Whom? Could Nutraceuticals Help Low-Risk Individuals with Non-optimal Lipid Levels?Current atherosclerosis reports · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposePlant sterols (PS) are well known for their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-lowering effect. Until recently, they were believed to have little or no impact on blood triglycerides (TG). However, studies taken individually were possibly lacking statistical power to detect modest TG decreases. This study was performed to quantify the TG-lowering effect of PS by pooling individual subject data from 12 randomised controlled trials that investigated the effects of PS on blood lipids.
methodsThe main outcome variable was the control-adjusted PS effect on relative (%) and absolute (mmol/L) changes in TG. The relative and absolute changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were also assessed. Differences in changes of serum lipid concentrations between PS and control treatments were estimated by an ANCOVA using a random effect model which included PS intake (active or control), study and predefined subject characteristics.
resultsThe twelve randomised controlled trials included in total 935 hypercholesterolaemic subjects not preselected based on their baseline TG concentrations. In most studies, the PS dose ranged between 1.6 and 2.5 g/day. PS intake significantly lowered serum TG by 6.0% (95% CI: -10.7, -1.2) or 0.12 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.20, -0.04). No significant interaction was observed between PS intake and baseline TG concentrations on relative changes, but, on absolute changes, interaction was significant with larger TG decreases observed with higher TG concentrations at baseline. No effects were observed on HDL-C concentrations.
conclusionsThese results show that PS exert a modest TG-lowering effect which is dependent on baseline concentrations.
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Registered trials
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.