Investigation of risk factors to coronary heart disease in two countryside villages

The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors to coronary heart disease in two countryside villages in the State of Paraná, southern Brazil, typical in terms of the poverty and lack of access to public health care. All population was invited to participate in the study. The 462 volunteers (61.3% female, mean age = 42 years) showed high prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (7.0%), hypertriglyceridemia (19.0%), hyperglycemia (11.0%), hypertension (30.0%) and obesity (16.0%). The majority of the individuals, during the interview did not report the diseases detected by the testes. The results revealed that the high prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, obesity, hypertension and diabetes mellitus could be consequence of the delayed detection of these diseases or inadequate treatment after diagnostic

Investigation of the tolerability of oral stevioside in Brazilian hyperlipidemic patients

The tolerability of stevioside (2.75 mg/kg/day) obtained from leaves of Stevia rebaudiana (Bert) Bertoni (Compositae) was investigated in hyperlipidemic patients. For this purpose a placebo controlled double blind study was performed. The patients were randomized in two groups: the first group received capsules containing placebo and the second group received capsules containing stevioside (50 mg) during 90 days. All capsules were ingested twice daily, i.e., 2 capsules before lunch and 2 capsules before dinner. After the selection of the patients and each 30 days body mass index and laboratory tests (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein, triglycerides and glucose) were performed. Stevioside did not show any clinical relevant modification in all parameters investigated. Moreover the patients did not report severe adverse effect. Thus, we can concluded that stevioside, at least in the doses employed in this study was safe