Effect of Nigella Sativa on Lipid Profiles in Elderly

Effect of Nigella Sativa on Lipid Profiles in Elderly: a Randomized Double-blinded Clinical Trial

The purpose of this study is to determine whether Nigella sativa seed extracts are effective in the treatment of dyslipidemia in elderly.

Cardiovascular diseases are still common health problems worldwide. They are major causes of morbidity and mortality in many countries. Dyslipidemia is the main risk factor of cardiovascular events. Despite the invention of many conventional hypolipidemic drugs, the use of traditional medicine remains high, especially in elderly patients. However, evidence of the effectiveness of many herbs or other traditional drugs is lacking. Nigella sativa or black seeds are traditional herbs used for years in Middle East and India. They are believed to cure many diseases, including dyslipidemia. Therefore, a study is needed to prove their effectiveness as their use might improve our strategy to improve patients' compliance.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age of 60 years or more
• having dyslipidemia (total cholesterol >200 mg/dL or LDL >100 mg/dL or triglyceride > 150 mg/dL or HDL < 40 mg/dL (male) or HDL < 50 mg/dL (female)

Exclusion Criteria:

• ALT or AST are two times of upper normal limit
• creatinine clearance test is below 30