Oat-derived b-Glucan Significantly Improves HDLC and Diminishes LDLC and Non-HDL Cholesterol in Overweight Individuals With Mild Hypercholesterolemia Nadia Reyna-Villasmil, PhD, 1 * Valmore Bermu ´ dez-Pirela, MD, 1 Edgardo Mengual-Moreno, MD, 1 Nelly Arias, MD, 1 Clı ´maco Cano-Ponce, PhD, 1 Elliuz Leal-Gonzalez, 1 Aida Souki, MgSc, 1 George E. Inglett, MD, 2 Zafar H. Israili, PhD, 3 Rafael Herna ´ ndez-Herna ´ ndez, MD, 4 Manuel Valasco, MD, 5 and Naikt Arraiz, PhD Objective: To investigate the effect of bread formulated with 6 g of b-glucan (oat soluble fiber) on serum lipids in overweight normotensive subjects with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia. Design: Thirty-eight male subjects ½mean age 59.8 6 0.6 yr, mean body mass index (BMI) 28.3 6 0.6 kg/m 2  who were eligible for the study ate an isocaloric diet for a 1-week period. They were then divided into 2 groups: group A (n = 19), who were maintained on American Heart Association (AHA) Step II diet, including whole wheat bread, and group B (n = 19), who were maintained on AHA Step II diet containing high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids plus bread containing 6 g of b-glucan (Nutrim-OB) for 8 weeks. Plasma lipids and glucose were measured at baseline and after weeks 8 in all subjects. All subjects were advised to walk for 60 minutes every day. Results: There was a significant increase ([27.8%) in plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the b-glucan group (group A) from 39.4 6 2.0 to 49.5 6 2.1 mg/dL (P , 0.001), but there was no change in group B. There was a significant reduction in total cholesterol in the 2 groups to approximately the same extent: group A, from 232.8 6 2.7 mg/dL to 202.7 6 6.7 mg/dL; P , 0.001; and group B, from 231.8 6 4.3 mg/dL to 194.2 6 4.3 mg dL; P , 0.001. Plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol also decreased significantly in the two groups: group A, from 160.3 6 2.8 mg/dL to 133.2 6 5.4 mg/dL; P , 0.001; group B, from 167.9 6 4.3 mg/dL to 120.9 6 4.3 mg/dL; P , 0.001; however, the b-glucan fortified diet was significantly more effective (Y27.3% vs. Y16.8%; P , 0.04). There was a small and insignificant reduction in plasma very LDL (VLDL) cholesterol and triglycerides in the two groups. Similarly, non-HDL cholesterol levels were also decreased, with b-glucan diet producing significantly higher effect (Y24.5% vs. Y16.1%; P , 0.04). The b-glucan diet also produced higher reduction in total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio (Y33.3% vs. Y8.4%; P , 0.003) and LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio (Y42.1% vs. Y13.3%; P , 0.001) than the diet without b-glucan. The b-glucan diet also decreased fasting plasma glucose (P , 0.4), whereas the other diet had no effect. Interestingly, both diets reduced body weight and BMI significantly, with b-glucan diet having a greater effect. From the 1 Center for Metabolic and Endocrine Research, The University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela; 2 USDA-ARS, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Cereal Products and Food Science Research Unit, Peoria, IL; 3 Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA; 4 Unidad de Farmacologı ´a Clı ´nica, Escuela de Medicina Vargas, La Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela; and 5 Clinical Pharmacology Unit and Hypertension Clinic, School of Medicine, Universidad Centroccidental ‘‘Lisandro Alvarado,’’ Barquisimeto, Estado Lara, Venezuela. *Address for correspondence: Facultad de Medicina, Ca ´tedra de Bioquı ´mica, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. E-mail: nadiareyna@hotmail.com, nadiareyna@yahoo.com American Journal of Therapeutics 14, 203–212 (2007) 1075–2765 Ó 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins