Diet could help decrease cholesterol drugs

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 6 (UPI) -- Working with dietitians to follow best evidence nutrition guidelines helps patients lower cholesterol levels, a U.S. study found.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found after three or more appointments with a registered dietitian 44.6 percent of the patients either reached cholesterol goals or reduced "bad" cholesterol by at least 15 percent.

"Often, we see heart patients who are on multiple cholesterol medications, but have never seen a dietitian. And even when a patient with high cholesterol does get to see an registered dietitian their care team may not allow enough time to see how effective diet is before they add additional treatment," Kathy Rhodes of the University of Michigan Health System said in a statement. "We hope that this demonstration of how well cholesterol can be lowered without medication or increases in medication will be very useful for patients and physicians, and perhaps insurers too."

The study involved 377 patients with high cholesterol, who were counseled by 52 registered dietitians in 11 states. A disappointing finding was that many patients dropped out of nutrition counseling after one or two visits. Lack of insurance coverage was a major factor in the dropout rate, the study said.