Effects of plant sterols/stanols on atherosclerotic process and cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

It is known that the morbidity and mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases in our country and have reached serious numbers in the world. Nowadays, the morbidity of cardiovascular diseases has increased with changing lifestyle and dietary habits. Dietary plant sterols/stanols may alter and improve these adverse environmental conditions through various mechanisms. The mechanism of action is the regulation of cholesterol and lipid regulatory targets in enterohepatic cycle. There are important effects in the intestinal lumen such as competing with exogenous (dietary) and endogenous cholesterol, reducing the absorption of intestinal cholesterol and altering the expression of genes involved in cholesterol synthesis. Its effectiveness in the hepatic cycle significantly reduces total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride serum concentrations, which are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. In addition, it affects the atherosclerotic process by decreasing plasma fibrinogen levels and thrombotic effects that play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. 

Keywords

• Cardiovascular diseases; phytosterols; atherosclerosis

Bitkisel Sterollerin/Stanollerin Aterosklerotik Süreç ve Kardiyovasküler Hastalıklar Üzerine Etkisi

Abstract

Tüm dünyada ve ülkemizde kardiyovasküler hastalıklardan kaynaklanan morbiditenin ve mortalitenin ciddi rakamlara ulaştığı bilinmektedir. Günümüzde, yaşam tarzı ve beslenme alışkanlıkları değişimi ile kardiyovasküler hastalıkların morbiditesi artmıştır. Diyet ile alınan bitkisel steroller/stanoller, bu olumsuz çevresel koşulları çeşitli mekanizmalar aracılığıyla değiştirebilir ve iyileştirebilir. Etki mekanizması ise enterohepatik döngü içindeki kolesterol ve lipid düzenleyici hedeflerin regülasyonudur. Bağırsak lümeninde eksojen (diyet) ve endojen kaynaklı kolesterol ile rekabet etmek, bağırsak kolesterolü emilimini azaltmak ve kolesterol sentezinde görevli genlerin ekspresyonunu değiştirmek gibi önemli etkileri vardır. Hepatik döngü içerisindeki etkinliği ile kardiyovasküler hastalıklar için risk faktörü olan total kolesterol, düşük yoğunluklu lipoprotein kolesterol ve trigliserit serum konsantrasyonlarını önemli ölçüde düşürmektedir. Bunun yanı sıra, aterosklerozun patogenezinde önemli rol oynayan plazma fibrinojen düzeylerini ve trombotik etkiye neden olan trombosit düzeylerini azaltarak aterosklerotik sürece etki etmektedir.

Keywords

• Kalp ve damar hastalıkları; fitosteroller; ateroskleroz

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