Acta Pharm. 62 (2012) 115-122

 

full paper

Short communication

 

Antioxidant supplementation and serum lipids in patients with Graves' disease: Effect on LDL-cholesterol

VESNA BAČIĆ VRCA, LJILJANA MAYER, FRANJO ŠKREB, DARIO RAHELIĆ and SREĆKO MARUŠIĆ

vesnav@kbd.hr

1 Department of of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Croatia

2 Department of  Medical Biochemistry, University Hospital "Sestre milosrdnice", Zagreb, Croatia

3 Department of  Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia

4 Department of  Endocrinology, University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia

5 Department of  Pharmacology, University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia

Accepted January 4, 2012

 

The effect of supplementation with a fixed combination of antioxidants (beta-carotene, selenium, vitamins C and E) on serum lipids was monitored in patients with newly detected Graves' disease. Measurements were made prior to the commencement of therapy and after 30 and 60 days. Patients were randomized into two groups. Test group comprised patients who received antioxidant supplementation in addition to methimazole, while patients treated with methimazole only were in the control group. The concentration of total and HDL-cholesterol increased significantly in test and control groups (p < 0.05) but these groups did not differ significantly. Concentration of LDL-cholesterol increased significantly in the test group only (p < 0.005) and was significantly different from the control group 60 days after the commencing the therapy (p < 0.005). Significant increase in the LDL-cholesterol concentration in the test group requires further investigations.

 

Keywords: Graves' disease, antioxidants, serum lipids, LDL-cholesterol