PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this review is to summarize the available clinical efficacy and safety data related to the most studied and used lipid-lowering nutraceuticals. RECENT FINDINGS: A growing number of meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials supports the effectiveness and tolerability of some lipid-lowering nutraceuticals such as red yeast rice, plant sterols and stanols, soluble fibers, berberine, artichoke extracts, bergamot polyphenol fraction, garlic, green tea, and spiruline. No significant safety concern has been raised for the use of such products. Association of more lipid-lowering nutraceuticals and of some nutraceuticals with lipid-lowering drugs has been tested as well. Current evidence suggests that some clinically tested lipid-lowering nutraceuticals could be safely used to improve plasma lipid levels in subjects affected by mild-to-moderate dyslipidaemia with low cardiovascular risk.

3rd Department of Internal Medicine General University Hospital and 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Atherosclerosis Research Center University of Bologna Via Albertoni 15 40138 Bologna Italy

CGH Medical Center Sterling IL USA

Cicarrone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore MD USA

Department of Health Promotion Mother and Child Care Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties University of Palermo Palermo Italy

Department of Hypertension Chair of Nephrology and Hypertension Medical University of Lodz Łódź Poland

Department of Medicine and Surgery Sciences University of Bologna Bologna Italy

Faculty of Medicine Department of Diabetes Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest Romania

IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Di Bologna Bologna Italy

Italian Society of Nutraceuticals Bologna Italy

Medical Research Centre Sultan Qaboos University Muscat Oman

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