Objectives: To assess the effect of puerarin supplementation on cardiovascular disease risk factors in men.~Study design: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-way crossover trial of 12-week puerarin supplementation.~Study subjects: 234 Hong Kong Chinese men aged 18-50 years without a history of cardiovascular disease.~Intervention: After assessing eligibility, all participants will be randomized to take a puerarin supplement in granules (90.2 mg daily) or a placebo, followed by a 4-week wash-out period, after which participants will be crossed over to the other intervention.~Primary outcomes: Lipid profile (total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides).~Secondary outcomes: Cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as blood pressure and fasting glucose, as well as some potential mediating pathways, such as testosterone.~Methods: An intention to treat analysis will be used, assuming no changes in baseline value for missing follow up values. Differences in outcomes between supplementation and placebo within participants will be compared using a paired t-test, after checking for the possibility of a carryover effect.~Expected results: The short-term effect of puerarin on cardiovascular disease risk factors in men will be obtained so as to confirm or refute previous trials usually with small sample sizes that suggest puerarin may improve lipid profile and reduce testosterone. The findings will also add evidence about the effects of puerarin on other potentially relevant risk factors, such as blood pressure, fasting glucose and testosterone, as well as some related biomarkers.
This study aims to assess the effect of puerarin supplementation on cardiovascular disease risk factors in men.