Impacts of Herbal Medicine Use on Lipid Profiles in Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Northwest Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Blood lipid abnormalities are common among Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and achieving better glycemic control may help improve their lipid profiles. Concomitant use of herbal medicines with conventional antidiabetic medications is a common practice among T2DM patients in Ethiopia. This study was conducted to evaluate the impacts of herbal medicine use on lipid profiles among T2DM patients.

METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study and was conducted from May 01 to July 30, 2024. A sample of 416 participants was approached for the study. The sample size was calculated using a single population proportion formula. A systematic random sampling method was used to select the participants. The data were collected through interviewer-administered questionnaire and patient medical record reviews. Patients were randomly selected, and their corresponding medical records, retrieved from the archive based on follow-up schedules of the patients, were accessed and reviewed using a data collection tool adapted from previous studies. Lipid parameters, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, as well as TC/LDL-C, TG/LDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), were compared between herbal medicine users and nonusers using the Mann-Whitney U Test and linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of the participants approached, 381 (91.6%) were included in the study. Among the participants included in the study, 141 (37.0%) reported having used herbal medicine since they were diagnosed with diabetes, and almost all were active users at the time of the study. The median TC, TG, and LDL-C levels and TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios and AIP of herbal medicine users were significantly lower than those of nonusers (p < 0.01), whereas the median HDL-C was significantly higher (p < 0.05). Moreover, linear regression analyses indicated that the TC, TG, and LDL-C levels were decreased by 6.84 mg/dL (β = -6.84, p < 0.05), 8.69 mg/dL (β = -8.69, p < 0.01), and 6.75 mg/dL (β = -6.75, p < 0.05), respectively, whereas HDL-C values increased by 1.59 (β = 1.59, p < 0.05) in herbal drug users as compared with nonusers. Similarly, compared with nonusers, TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios in herbal medicine users were reduced by 0.32 (β = -0.32, p < 0.01), 0.34 (β = -0.34, p < 0.01), and 0.23 (β = -0.23, p < 0.05), respectively, whereas AIP decreased by 0.041.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the use of herbal medicines was associated with significant reductions in TC, TG, and LDL-C levels, as well as in the TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios and AIP, whereas also associated with a significant increase in HDL-C levels. The results imply that herbal remedies may have beneficial effects in optimizing serum lipid levels in T2DM patients and could ultimately help reduce associated cardiovascular risks. However, because this study was cross-sectional and carried out at a single site, we recommend conducting more rigorous, multicenter observational and trial studies to generate more comprehensive and conclusive results.