High serum concentration of
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (
LDL-C) is a major risk factor for
coronary heart disease. The efficacy of
pantethine treatment on cardiovascular risk markers was investigated in a randomized, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled study, in a low to moderate
cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk North American population eligible for
statin therapy, using the National
Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines. A total of 32 subjects were randomized to
pantethine (600 mg/day from weeks 1 to 8 and 900 mg/day from weeks 9 to 16) or placebo. Compared with placebo, the participants on
pantethine showed a significant decrease in total
cholesterol at 16 weeks (P=0.040) and
LDL-C at 8 and 16 weeks (P=0.020 and P=0.006, respectively), and decreasing trends in non-
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol at week 8 and week 12 (P=0.102 and P=0.145, respectively) that reached significance by week 16 (P=0.042). An 11% decrease in
LDL-C from baseline was seen in participants on
pantethine, at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16, while participants on placebo showed a 3% increase at week 16. This decrease was significant between groups at weeks 8 (P=0.027) and 16 (P=0.010). The
homocysteine levels for both groups did not change significantly from baseline to week 16.
Coenzyme Q10 significantly increased from baseline to week 4 and remained elevated until week 16, in both the
pantethine and placebo groups. After 16 weeks, the participants on placebo did not show significant improvement in any CVD risk end points. This study confirms that
pantethine lowers cardiovascular risk markers in low to moderate CVD risk participants eligible for
statins according to NCEP guidelines.