Unique vascular protective properties of natural products: supplements or future main-line drugs with significant anti-atherosclerotic potential?

Abstract

Natural health products (NHP) which include minerals, vitamins and herbal remedies are not generally considered by medical practitioners as conventional medicines and as such are not frequently prescribed by health centre’s as either main-line or supplemental treatments. In the field of cardiovascular medicine, studies have shown that typically, less than half of patients suffering from coronary syndromes chose to take any form of NHP supplement and these products are rarely recommended by their medical practitioner. Vascular/endothelial cell damage is a key instigator of coronary arterial plaque development which often culminates in thrombosis and myocardial infarction (MI). Current treatment for patients known to be at risk of primary or secondary (MI) includes lipid lowering statins, anti-clotting agents (e.g. tissue plasminogen activator; tPA) and drugs for stabilization of blood pressure such as beta-blockers. However, evidence has been building which suggests that components of at least several NHP (e.g. aged garlic extract (AGExt), resveratrol and green tea extracts (GTE)) may have significant vascular protective effects through reduction of oxidative stress, lowering of blood pressure, reduction in platelet aggregation, vasodilation and inhibition of abnormal angiogenesis. Therefore, in this review we will discuss in detail the potential of these substances (chosen on the basis of their potency and complimentarity) as anti-atherosclerotic agents and the justification for their consideration as main-line additional supplements or prescriptions.

Anti-Atherosclerotic Therapy Based on Botanicals

“…However the potential of these substances allows considering them as mainline additional supplements or prescriptions [70]. Patents that protect exactly natural products as anti-atherosclerotic agents have recently been published [71, 72].…”

“…Toxicity and side effects of drugs are particularly important in atherosclerosis as an anti-atherosclerotic therapy should be long-term or even lifelong. Recent publications and patents allow us to consider anti-atherosclerotic natural products as an alternative to drugs [70–77]. Detection of anti-atherosclerotic effects of natural products is a promising example of future success in the fight against atherosclerosis.…”

Nutraceuticals with lipid-lowering activity: do they have any effect beyond cholesterol reduction?

“…Many other nutraceuticals are currently being studied as potentially effective compounds for protecting arteries from aging and other risk factors [102,103]; however, they have no significant lipid-lowering effect (and so their evaluation is beyond the scope of this review, as for example, the flavonoids from cocoa, coffee and tea), or their lipid-lowering effect is evident only for drug dosages (e.g., niacin and pantethine) or their efficacy has not yet been clearly supported by clinical evidence (the most numerous). Other nutrients such as monounsaturated fatty acids from nuts have shown interesting lipid-lowering effects, but there is no actual way to supplement them if not in the form of the full fruit, whose intake has to usually be modulated because of energy content [104].…”

Low density lipoprotein-induced lipid accumulation is a key phenomenon of atherogenesis at the arterial cell level

“…Although some herbal preparations are recommended by the FDA; unfortunately, natural products that possess anti-atherosclerotic therapeutic potential are not prescribed by medical practitioners as antiatherosclerotic agents. However, the potential of these substances allows us to consider them as mainline additional supplements or prescriptions [72] .…”