Metabolic Syndrome Comprises of Altered Lipid, Carbohydrates, and Protein Metabolism: Leading Cause of Oxidative Stress

Metabolic syndrome comprises of altered lipid, carbohydrates, and protein metabolism causing increase synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which interact with blood low density lipoprotein (LDL) particles. This interactive phenomenon develops coronary artery disease (CAD) causing hypertension, congestive cardiac failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and heart attack. Preventive measures for CAD include avoiding sedentary life style, cession of cigarette smoking, taking unhealthy bakery foods and taking hypolipidemic agents. In allopathy hypolipidemic agents include statins, fibrates, niacin and psyllium husk. Because these drugs have mild to severe adverse effects, medicinal herbs having hypolipidemic characteristics are replacing allopathic agents. Ginger is one of those medicinal herbs. We have tried to prove how much ginger can reduce LDL-C, TC, and body weight in hyperlipidemic patients. Our research work was single blind and placebo-controlled study. The study was conducted at National Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan from July to November 2016. 65 male, female hyperlipidemic patients were selected from the OPD of the Hospital. Their age range was 25 years to sixty years. Chain smokers, regular alcohol users, and patients suffering from any liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal illnesses were excluded from the study. They were divided equally ie 30 patients in each group. Group-I was tested group and Group-II was placebo group. Their baseline lipid profile, and body weight was determined in pathology laboratory of the hospital and was kept in their personal file. Serum TC (total cholesterol) by calorimetric (enzymic) method. Blood LDL-cholesterol was calculated by Friedwald formula5 ie; LDL-cholesterol = TC-(TG/5) + HDL-cholesterol. 30 patients of group-I were advised to take 5 grams ginger’s pasted-powder in divided doses for the period of three months. 30 patients of group-II were advised to take one capsule (placebo capsule filled with 30 mg of grinded wheat) 8 hourly daily for the period of three months. They were advised to come at hospital for follow up fortnightly. After three months therapy their lipid profile and body weight was redetermined by same method as above. Data were expressed as mean ± SD/SEM (standard deviation/ standard error of mean). Paired t-test was used to determine SS (statistical significance) in pre and post-treatment mean values. P-values greater than 0.05 were labeled as non-significant difference in two groups (pre-treatment and post treatment mean values). Lesser than 0.05 value (p-value) was considered as significant change in two groups. Lesser than 0.001 value was labeled as highly significant change in two groups (pre-treatment and post treatment groups).