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Myoinositol may mitigate symptoms of metabolic syndrome
Giordano D. Menopause. 2011;18:102-104.
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Postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome may experience improved blood pressure, cholesterol profiles, triglyceride serum levels and insulin resistance when supplementing diet with myoinositol, recent data suggest.
“Cardiovascular events are a rare occurrence in premenopausal women, but their incidence increases most markedly after the age of 45 to 54 years, at the time of menopause,” researchers in Italy wrote. “Substances that are able to reduce hyperinsulinemia are of interest for women affected by metabolic syndrome, with a view to reducing cardiovascular risk.”
To determine the potential benefits of myoinositol in treating metabolic syndrome, the researchers randomly assigned 80 postmenopausal women with the condition who were already on low-energy diets to receive 2 g of the drug or placebo twice-daily. All participants were also being treated with antihypertensive agents.
Compared with the placebo group, women in the intervention arm demonstrated significant decreases in metabolic syndrome features after 6 months. Diastolic BP, for instance, declined by 11%. Insulin resistance, as measured by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) ratio index, also decreased by 75%, and serum triglycerides decreased by 20%. HDL levels, however, increased by 20%, the researchers said.
Studies involving other insulin-sensitizing substances, such as rosiglitazone or D-chiro-inositol, yielded similar data, although myoinositol appeared to have the best results regarding diastolic BP, according to the researchers.
To confirm their results, however, the researchers said further research is needed, especially into longer treatment durations in this population.
Disclosures: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures.
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