A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs on the effect of psyllium fiber on lipid targets for CVD risk reduction

BackgroundPsyllium fiber, while initially promoted for its digestive health benefits, is now known to moderately improve LDL cholesterol. However, it is less known whether psyllium fiber has an effect on two newer clinical lipid targets of cardiovascular disease, non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. ObjectiveTo conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the cholesterol-lowering impact of psyllium fiber on LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction. DesignMEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and the Cochrane CENTRAL were searched. We included RCTs of 3-week duration assessing the effect of psyllium fiber on LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol or apolipoprotein B. Two independent reviewers extracted relevant data and assessed study quality and risk of bias. Data were pooled using the generic inverse-variance method with random effects models and expressed as mean differences (MD) with 95% confiden...