human
***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: The hypolipidemic effect of Kwai , a preparation based on garlic powder ( Allium sativum ) , depended on the initial content of cholesterol and /or triglycerides . This effect was most pronounced in patients with coronary heart disease with initial cholesterol > 7.0 mmol/liter and triglyceride > 1.92 mmol/liter . After treatment with Kwai the correlation between triglyceride content and leukocyte count remained unchanged , the correlation between cholesterol content and leukocyte count disappeared , fibrinogen concentration decreased by 11 % , and no correlation was found between fibrinogen content and leukocyte count BACKGROUND Garlic ( Allium Sativum ) has been used in herbal medicine for centuries for various ailments . In recent years garlic has been the focus of serious medical and clinical attention because of beneficial effects on several cardiovascular risk factors like reduction of serum lipids , blood pressure and plasma viscosity . There is also wide spread belief among general public that garlic has beneficial effects on cardiovascular system . The purpose of present study was to evaluate the effects of garlic on one of the major cardiovascular risk factors i.e. dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus . METHOD This 12 week r and omized , single-blind , placebo controlled study was conducted on Type 2 diabetic patients with newly diagnosed dyslipidemia ( n=70 ) . Patients were selected from Diabetic OPD of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre , Karachi and were divided into two groups each comprising of 35 patients , they were given tablet garlic ( Garlex-Bosch Pharmaceuticals ) 300 mg ( containing 1.3 % allicin ) twice daily and identical placebo tablets respectively . Both groups were given diet and exercise plan . RESULTS After 12 weeks the garlic treated group ( n = 33 ) had a significant reduction in total cholesterol ( -28 mg/dl , - 12.03 % P= < 0.001 ) , LDL - C ( -30 mg/dl , - 17.99 % P=<0.001 ) while the placebo treated group ( n=32 ) had a non significant decrease in total cholesterol ( - 2 mg/dl , - 0.9 % p= ns ) and LDL-C ( -3 mg/dl , -1.6 % p = ns ) . HDL cholesterol was significantly increased in patients treated with garlic ( 3.35 mg/dl , 8.81 % P= < 0.05 ) compared with placebo group ( 0.62 , 1.6 % P= n.s ) but there was no significant difference in triglyceride was observed between two groups . CONCLUSION This study suggests possible small short term benefits of garlic on dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetic patients .  Garlic significantly reduced serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and moderately raised HDL cholesterol as compared to placebo . Controlled Clinical Trials of longer duration are needed to assess the long term benefit of garlic on vascular and circulatory disease processes BACKGROUND Garlic powder tablets have been reported to lower  serum cholesterol levels .  There is widespread belief among the general public that garlic powder tablets aid in controlling cholesterol levels . However , much of the prior data demonstrating the cholesterol-lowering effect of garlic tablets involved studies that were inadequately controlled . OBJECTIVE To determine the lipid-lowering effect of garlic powder tablets in patients with hypercholesterolemia .  METHODS This was a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , 12-week , parallel treatment study carried out in 2 outpatient lipid clinics . Entry into the study after 8 weeks of diet stabilization required a mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level on 2 visits of 4.1 mmol/L ( 160 mg/dL ) or lower and a triglyceride level of 4.0 mmol/L ( 350 mg/dL ) or lower . The active treatment arm received tablets containing 300 mg of garlic powder ( Kwai ) 3 times per day , given with meals ( total , 900 mg/d ) . This is equivalent to approximately 2.7 g or approximately 1 clove of fresh garlic per day . The placebo arm received an identical-looking tablet , also given 3 times per day with meals . The main outcome measures included levels of total cholesterol , triglycerides , low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol after 12 weeks of treatment . RESULTS Twenty-eight patients ( 43 % male ; mean + /- SD age , 58 + /- 14 years ) received garlic powder treatment and 22 ( 68 % male ; mean + /- SD age , 57 + /- 13 years ) received placebo treatment . There were no significant lipid or lipoprotein changes in either the placebo- or garlic-treated groups and no significant difference between changes in the placebo-treated group compared with changes in the garlic-treated patients . CONCLUSION Garlic powder ( 900 mg/d ) treatment for 12 weeks was ineffective in lowering cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia Our aim was to define any effects of confirmed garlic supplementation on the resistance of low density lipoprotein ( LDL ) to oxidation , on LDL sub-fraction composition including levels of lipoprotein(a ) , and on levels of circulating antibody to oxidised LDL , variables of interest in relation to cardiovascular risk . Additional tests were performed on sample s collected from a double blind , r and omised 6-month parallel trial in which 900 mg Kwai garlic or placebo was taken by moderately hypercholesterolaemic volunteers . Final data was analysed for 20 garlic and 11 placebo subjects with compliance of at least 75 % as determined by repeat tablet counting . EDTA plasma stabilised by sucrose was stored at -70 degrees C for up to 12 months . Lipids and apolipoproteins were determined by st and ard methods , lipoprotein(a ) by an ELISA method and LDL fraction composition by non-gradient gel electrophoresis . Oxidative resistance of LDL purified after isolation by density gradient centrifugation was assessed from oxidative resistance to copper ions determined spectrophotometrically , antibodies to oxidised LDL were determined by a microtitre plate assay and vitamin E content of plasma by HPLC . Overall lipid/lipoprotein profiles including lipoprotein(a ) were unchanged as with the parent group . LDL composition showed a trend to less dense material in both placebo and garlic groups , all differences not significant . Lag time as a marker of oxidative resistance also increased in both groups , without change in vitamin E content , all differences not significant and consistent with a placebo effect . Levels of antibodies to oxidised LDL were unchanged . The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that dietary garlic supplementation decreases the susceptibility of isolated LDL to oxidation and that patterns of LDL tractions in plasma might be involved . Levels of lipoprotein(a ) in plasma were also not changed . Other mechanisms of cardiovascular benefit are however not excluded BACKGROUND Little is known about the long-term effects of garlic or micronutrient supplementation on total , HDL , and LDL cholesterol in disease-free persons . OBJECTIVE We aim ed to assess the effects of long-term supplementation with garlic and micronutrients and of short-term amoxicillin and omeprazole treatment on serum total , HDL , and LDL cholesterol in a rural Chinese population . DESIGN We conducted a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , 2 x 2 x 2 and 2 x 2 factorial study of precancerous gastric lesions in 3411 subjects in Linqu County , Sh and ong Province , China . Thirty-four subjects were r and omly selected from each of 12 treatment strata . Sera were analyzed at 3.3 and 7.3 y to measure effects on total , HDL , and LDL cholesterol after 2-wk twice-daily treatment with 1 g amoxicillin and 20 mg omeprazole and supplementation throughout the study with 1 ) 2 capsules twice daily , each containing 200 mg aged garlic extract and 1 mg steam-distilled garlic oil , or 2 ) twice-daily micronutrient capsules containing 250 mg vitamin C , 100 IU vitamin E , and 37.5 mg selenium . RESULTS Regressions adjusted for covariates indicated increases of 0.22 mmol total cholesterol/L ( P = 0.01 ) and 0.19 mmol LDL/L ( P = 0.02 ) after 7.3 y of micronutrient supplementation , but no effect of garlic supplementation or short-term amoxicillin and omeprazole treatment . CONCLUSIONS In this rural Chinese population with low meat intake and moderate cholesterol concentrations , long-term garlic supplementation had no effect on lipid profiles , whereas micronutrient supplementation was associated with small but significant increases in total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations at 7.3 Interventions which make serum lipoproteins less susceptible to oxidation may be antiatherogenic . The antioxidant properties of garlic which have been demonstratedin vitro led us to investigate the effects of garlic supplements on lipoprotein oxidation susceptibility in humans . Ten healthy volunteers were given 600 mg/d of garlic powder ( 6 tablets of Kwai ® ) for two weeks in a placebo-controlled , r and omized , double-blind crossover trial . We found that although serum lipid and lipoprotein levels were not lowered in this short time period , theex vivo susceptibility of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins to oxidation was significantly decreased ( −34 % ) . Because garlic has been reported to beneficially affect serum lipid levels , platelet function , fibrinolysis and blood pressure , this additional effect of retarding lipoprotein oxidation may contribute to the potential antiatherosclerotic effect of garlic BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies suggest that garlic may have beneficial effects on risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) . However , these findings are not unambiguously supported by r and omized placebo-controlled clinical trials . OBJECTIVE We sought to investigate the effects of a chemically well-characterized garlic preparation on biomarkers for inflammation , endothelial function , and lipid metabolism in subjects with risk factors for CVD . DESIGN This was a double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled trial in 90 overweight [ body mass index ( in kg/m2 ) > 24.5 ] subjects aged 40 - 75 y who smoked > 10 cigarettes/d . The subjects were r and omly assigned to 3 parallel treatment groups : garlic powder ( 2.1 g/d ) , atorvastatin ( 40 mg/d ) , or placebo . Duplicate measurements were performed at baseline and after 1 and 3 mo of treatment . Treatments were compared with analysis of covariance with baseline as the covariate , and differences between the treatments were reported as mean percentage difference and corresponding 97.5 % CI . RESULTS None of the variables showed significant differences between the garlic-treated and the placebo groups . In contrast , compared with the placebo group , atorvastatin treatment result ed in significantly lower plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein ( 20.2 % ; 1.7 % , 35.3 % ) , total cholesterol ( 37.2 % ; 33.1 % , 41.1 % ) , LDL cholesterol ( 52.7 % ; 47.9 % , 57.1 % ) , triacylglycerols ( 31.9 % ; 20.8 % , 41.5 % ) , and tumor necrosis factor alpha ( TNF-alpha ; 41.9 % ; 19.0 % , 58.3 % ) and increased the ratio of ex vivo whole blood lipopolysaccharide-stimulated to nonstimulated TNF-alpha concentrations ( 109.7 % ; 37.9 % , 218.9 % ) . CONCLUSION We conclude that a chemically well-characterized garlic preparation has no significant effect on inflammatory biomarkers , endothelial function , or lipid profile in normolipidemic subjects with risk factors for CVD Early trials of garlic preparations on blood lipids mainly supported a lipid-lowering effect , whereas later well- design ed garlic tablet trials were mainly entirely null . However , enteric simulation tests suggest that this discordance may result from ineffective delivery of bioactive agents from the br and s of garlic powder ( GP ) and cyclodextrin-bound garlic oil ( GO ) tablets tested in some recent negative trials . In contrast , enteric simulation tests show that the preformed bioactive agents present in " traditional " gelatin capsules of GO are efficiently released , although such capsules have rarely been investigated in lipid-lowering trials . It was hypothesized that gelatin capsules of GO given to normal subjects would improve specified coronary heart disease risk factors . Effects of a GP preparation were also investigated . Subjects ( n = 51 ; men and women , mean age 27 y ) were r and omly assigned to receive either 8.2 mg/d of GO ( allyl sulfides ) or placebo for 11 wk . Another 27 subjects received garlic powder ( GP ) of similar biopotential ( 7. 
    Output:
    
agent
Garlic reduces TC to a modest extent , an effect driven mostly by the modest reductions in TAG , without appreciable LDL lowering or HDL elevation .
Higher baseline line TC levels and the use of dietary modification may alter the effect of garlic on these parameters .
***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: The hypolipidemic effect of Kwai , a preparation based on garlic powder ( Allium sativum ) , depended on the initial content of cholesterol and /or triglycerides . This effect was most pronounced in patients with coronary heart disease with initial cholesterol > 7.0 mmol/liter and triglyceride > 1.92 mmol/liter . After treatment with Kwai the correlation between triglyceride content and leukocyte count remained unchanged , the correlation between cholesterol content and leukocyte count disappeared , fibrinogen concentration decreased by 11 % , and no correlation was found between fibrinogen content and leukocyte count BACKGROUND Garlic ( Allium Sativum ) has been used in herbal medicine for centuries for various ailments . In recent years garlic has been the focus of serious medical and clinical attention because of beneficial effects on several cardiovascular risk factors like reduction of serum lipids , blood pressure and plasma viscosity . There is also wide spread belief among general public that garlic has beneficial effects on cardiovascular system . The purpose of present study was to evaluate the effects of garlic on one of the major cardiovascular risk factors i.e. dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus . METHOD This 12 week r and omized , single-blind , placebo controlled study was conducted on Type 2 diabetic patients with newly diagnosed dyslipidemia ( n=70 ) . Patients were selected from Diabetic OPD of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre , Karachi and were divided into two groups each comprising of 35 patients , they were given tablet garlic ( Garlex-Bosch Pharmaceuticals ) 300 mg ( containing 1.3 % allicin ) twice daily and identical placebo tablets respectively . Both groups were given diet and exercise plan . RESULTS After 12 weeks the garlic treated group ( n = 33 ) had a significant reduction in total cholesterol ( -28 mg/dl , - 12.03 % P= < 0.001 ) , LDL - C ( -30 mg/dl , - 17.99 % P=<0.001 ) while the placebo treated group ( n=32 ) had a non significant decrease in total cholesterol ( - 2 mg/dl , - 0.9 % p= ns ) and LDL-C ( -3 mg/dl , -1.6 % p = ns ) . HDL cholesterol was significantly increased in patients treated with garlic ( 3.35 mg/dl , 8.81 % P= < 0.05 ) compared with placebo group ( 0.62 , 1.6 % P= n.s ) but there was no significant difference in triglyceride was observed between two groups . CONCLUSION This study suggests possible small short term benefits of garlic on dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetic patients .  Garlic significantly reduced serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and moderately raised HDL cholesterol as compared to placebo . Controlled Clinical Trials of longer duration are needed to assess the long term benefit of garlic on vascular and circulatory disease processes BACKGROUND Garlic powder tablets have been reported to lower  serum cholesterol levels .  There is widespread belief among the general public that garlic powder tablets aid in controlling cholesterol levels . However , much of the prior data demonstrating the cholesterol-lowering effect of garlic tablets involved studies that were inadequately controlled . OBJECTIVE To determine the lipid-lowering effect of garlic powder tablets in patients with hypercholesterolemia .  METHODS This was a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , 12-week , parallel treatment study carried out in 2 outpatient lipid clinics . Entry into the study after 8 weeks of diet stabilization required a mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level on 2 visits of 4.1 mmol/L ( 160 mg/dL ) or lower and a triglyceride level of 4.0 mmol/L ( 350 mg/dL ) or lower . The active treatment arm received tablets containing 300 mg of garlic powder ( Kwai ) 3 times per day , given with meals ( total , 900 mg/d ) . This is equivalent to approximately 2.7 g or approximately 1 clove of fresh garlic per day . The placebo arm received an identical-looking tablet , also given 3 times per day with meals . The main outcome measures included levels of total cholesterol , triglycerides , low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol after 12 weeks of treatment . RESULTS Twenty-eight patients ( 43 % male ; mean + /- SD age , 58 + /- 14 years ) received garlic powder treatment and 22 ( 68 % male ; mean + /- SD age , 57 + /- 13 years ) received placebo treatment . There were no significant lipid or lipoprotein changes in either the placebo- or garlic-treated groups and no significant difference between changes in the placebo-treated group compared with changes in the garlic-treated patients . CONCLUSION Garlic powder ( 900 mg/d ) treatment for 12 weeks was ineffective in lowering cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia Our aim was to define any effects of confirmed garlic supplementation on the resistance of low density lipoprotein ( LDL ) to oxidation , on LDL sub-fraction composition including levels of lipoprotein(a ) , and on levels of circulating antibody to oxidised LDL , variables of interest in relation to cardiovascular risk . Additional tests were performed on sample s collected from a double blind , r and omised 6-month parallel trial in which 900 mg Kwai garlic or placebo was taken by moderately hypercholesterolaemic volunteers . Final data was analysed for 20 garlic and 11 placebo subjects with compliance of at least 75 % as determined by repeat tablet counting . EDTA plasma stabilised by sucrose was stored at -70 degrees C for up to 12 months . Lipids and apolipoproteins were determined by st and ard methods , lipoprotein(a ) by an ELISA method and LDL fraction composition by non-gradient gel electrophoresis . Oxidative resistance of LDL purified after isolation by density gradient centrifugation was assessed from oxidative resistance to copper ions determined spectrophotometrically , antibodies to oxidised LDL were determined by a microtitre plate assay and vitamin E content of plasma by HPLC . Overall lipid/lipoprotein profiles including lipoprotein(a ) were unchanged as with the parent group . LDL composition showed a trend to less dense material in both placebo and garlic groups , all differences not significant . Lag time as a marker of oxidative resistance also increased in both groups , without change in vitamin E content , all differences not significant and consistent with a placebo effect . Levels of antibodies to oxidised LDL were unchanged . The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that dietary garlic supplementation decreases the susceptibility of isolated LDL to oxidation and that patterns of LDL tractions in plasma might be involved . Levels of lipoprotein(a ) in plasma were also not changed . Other mechanisms of cardiovascular benefit are however not excluded BACKGROUND Little is known about the long-term effects of garlic or micronutrient supplementation on total , HDL , and LDL cholesterol in disease-free persons . OBJECTIVE We aim ed to assess the effects of long-term supplementation with garlic and micronutrients and of short-term amoxicillin and omeprazole treatment on serum total , HDL , and LDL cholesterol in a rural Chinese population . DESIGN We conducted a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , 2 x 2 x 2 and 2 x 2 factorial study of precancerous gastric lesions in 3411 subjects in Linqu County , Sh and ong Province , China . Thirty-four subjects were r and omly selected from each of 12 treatment strata . Sera were analyzed at 3.3 and 7.3 y to measure effects on total , HDL , and LDL cholesterol after 2-wk twice-daily treatment with 1 g amoxicillin and 20 mg omeprazole and supplementation throughout the study with 1 ) 2 capsules twice daily , each containing 200 mg aged garlic extract and 1 mg steam-distilled garlic oil , or 2 ) twice-daily micronutrient capsules containing 250 mg vitamin C , 100 IU vitamin E , and 37.5 mg selenium . RESULTS Regressions adjusted for covariates indicated increases of 0.22 mmol total cholesterol/L ( P = 0.01 ) and 0.19 mmol LDL/L ( P = 0.02 ) after 7.3 y of micronutrient supplementation , but no effect of garlic supplementation or short-term amoxicillin and omeprazole treatment . CONCLUSIONS In this rural Chinese population with low meat intake and moderate cholesterol concentrations , long-term garlic supplementation had no effect on lipid profiles , whereas micronutrient supplementation was associated with small but significant increases in total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations at 7.3 Interventions which make serum lipoproteins less susceptible to oxidation may be antiatherogenic . The antioxidant properties of garlic which have been demonstratedin vitro led us to investigate the effects of garlic supplements on lipoprotein oxidation susceptibility in humans . Ten healthy volunteers were given 600 mg/d of garlic powder ( 6 tablets of Kwai ® ) for two weeks in a placebo-controlled , r and omized , double-blind crossover trial . We found that although serum lipid and lipoprotein levels were not lowered in this short time period , theex vivo susceptibility of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins to oxidation was significantly decreased ( −34 % ) . Because garlic has been reported to beneficially affect serum lipid levels , platelet function , fibrinolysis and blood pressure , this additional effect of retarding lipoprotein oxidation may contribute to the potential antiatherosclerotic effect of garlic BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies suggest that garlic may have beneficial effects on risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) . However , these findings are not unambiguously supported by r and omized placebo-controlled clinical trials . OBJECTIVE We sought to investigate the effects of a chemically well-characterized garlic preparation on biomarkers for inflammation , endothelial function , and lipid metabolism in subjects with risk factors for CVD . DESIGN This was a double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled trial in 90 overweight [ body mass index ( in kg/m2 ) > 24.5 ] subjects aged 40 - 75 y who smoked > 10 cigarettes/d . The subjects were r and omly assigned to 3 parallel treatment groups : garlic powder ( 2.1 g/d ) , atorvastatin ( 40 mg/d ) , or placebo . Duplicate measurements were performed at baseline and after 1 and 3 mo of treatment . Treatments were compared with analysis of covariance with baseline as the covariate , and differences between the treatments were reported as mean percentage difference and corresponding 97.5 % CI . RESULTS None of the variables showed significant differences between the garlic-treated and the placebo groups . In contrast , compared with the placebo group , atorvastatin treatment result ed in significantly lower plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein ( 20.2 % ; 1.7 % , 35.3 % ) , total cholesterol ( 37.2 % ; 33.1 % , 41.1 % ) , LDL cholesterol ( 52.7 % ; 47.9 % , 57.1 % ) , triacylglycerols ( 31.9 % ; 20.8 % , 41.5 % ) , and tumor necrosis factor alpha ( TNF-alpha ; 41.9 % ; 19.0 % , 58.3 % ) and increased the ratio of ex vivo whole blood lipopolysaccharide-stimulated to nonstimulated TNF-alpha concentrations ( 109.7 % ; 37.9 % , 218.9 % ) . CONCLUSION We conclude that a chemically well-characterized garlic preparation has no significant effect on inflammatory biomarkers , endothelial function , or lipid profile in normolipidemic subjects with risk factors for CVD Early trials of garlic preparations on blood lipids mainly supported a lipid-lowering effect , whereas later well- design ed garlic tablet trials were mainly entirely null . However , enteric simulation tests suggest that this discordance may result from ineffective delivery of bioactive agents from the br and s of garlic powder ( GP ) and cyclodextrin-bound garlic oil ( GO ) tablets tested in some recent negative trials . In contrast , enteric simulation tests show that the preformed bioactive agents present in " traditional " gelatin capsules of GO are efficiently released , although such capsules have rarely been investigated in lipid-lowering trials . It was hypothesized that gelatin capsules of GO given to normal subjects would improve specified coronary heart disease risk factors . Effects of a GP preparation were also investigated . Subjects ( n = 51 ; men and women , mean age 27 y ) were r and omly assigned to receive either 8.2 mg/d of GO ( allyl sulfides ) or placebo for 11 wk . Another 27 subjects received garlic powder ( GP ) of similar biopotential ( 7. 
    Output:
    