Cardiovascular Health

Important risk factors for cardiovascular disease are abnormal levels of lipids and/or lipoproteins such as triglycerides and cholesterol. Increased serum levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL - "bad cholesterol") and low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL - "good cholesterol"), the latter being recognized as the most important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, are known as hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemia promotes plaque formation and narrowing of the arteries atherosclerosis leading to myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke and peripheral vascular and neurodegenerative disease.

Statins, including medications such as Lipitor®, Zocor® and Crestor®, are used to decrease LDL, but are little effective on raising HDL creating an unmet medical treatment gap. Even though statins are widely prescribed creating a worldwide $30 billion market, they have less effect than fibrates or niacin in reducing triglycerides and raising HDL-cholesterol ("good cholesterol").

The results of a double blind clinical study on the effects of NKO® on hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) demonstrate that:

• NKO® is safe and effective in controlling hyperlipidemia by significantly reducing total cholesterol levels, LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides, while increasing HDL (good cholesterol) to as yet unmatched levels without adverse effects. These effects were evaluated on patients who are resistant to statins, who failed to attain their target LDL levels after at least six months of low dose statin treatment.
• NKO® (1 - 1.5 g/day) was shown to be safe and significantly more effective than fish oil in the management of hyperlipidemia. In the same study, NKO® was shown to achieve a significantly greater reduction of LDL levels and increase of HDL levels as compared to fish oil (3g/day). These results were generated among statin-resistant patients, who failed to attain the target LDL levels after at least six months of low dose statin treatment. For the scientific publication, please click here.

Cardiovascular Risk Modification Analysis

• The results of an independent risk modification analysis of the hyperlipemia study data based on the Framingham model have shown that patients treated with NKO® can achieve a significantly reduced risk for cardiovascular events and significantly higher chance to prevent cardiovascular events over a 10-year period when compared to those treated with fish oil or for the statin resistant patients treated with low dose statin.

Health Economics Analysis

• An independent health economics analysis of the hyperlipemia data showed that NKO® monotherapy as well as NKO® co-administered with a low dose statin was significantly more cost-effective than all other interventions studied for all types of cardiovascular events aggregated.
• From a cost-benefit perspective, NKO® was shown to be the most favorable treatment alternative for angina, congestive heart failure, stroke, myocardial infarction, Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA), fatal myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG); NKO® has a negative cost-benefit indicating that the cost of acquisition is less than the benefits derived from the intervention.
• With respect to death and cardiac arrests that are rare events, the cost-benefit ratio is positive indicating the acquisition cost is higher than the benefits derived. However, NKO® remained the least expensive alternative for these rare events.