LOS ANGELES - The supplement Aged Garlic Extract can reverse the buildup of deadly plaque in arteries and help prevent the progression of heart disease, according to a new study scheduled for publication in the Journal of Nutrition.

The research, conducted at LA BioMed, found a reduction in the amount of low-attenuation plaque, or "soft plaque," in the arteries of patients with metabolic syndrome who took Aged Garlic Extract. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by obesity, hypertension and other cardiac risk factors.

"This study is another demonstration of the benefits of this supplement in reducing the accumulation of soft plaque and preventing the formation of new plaque in the arteries, which can cause heart disease," said Matthew J. Budoff, MD, an LA BioMed lead researcher. "We have completed four randomized studies, and they have led us to conclude that Aged Garlic Extract can help slow the progression of atherosclerosis and reverse the early stages of heart disease."

The study involved 55 patients, aged 40 to 75 years, who had been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. All the participants underwent screening at the beginning of the study to measure the total coronary plaque volume as well as dense calcium, non-calcified plaque and low-attenuation plaque. The screening was conducted using Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA), a noninvasive imaging technology that accurately measures calcium deposits and plaque buildup in the arteries.

Following evaluation, the participants were given either a placebo or a dose of 2,400 milligrams of Aged Garlic Extract every day. A follow-up screening conducted a year after the initial screening found those who had taken Aged Garlic Extract had slowed total plaque accumulation by 80%, reduced soft plaque and demonstrated regression (less plaque on follow-up) for low-attenuation plaque.

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Other LA BioMed researchers who participated in the study were: Suguru Matsumoto, Rine Nakanishi, Dong Li, Anas Alani, Panteha Rezaeian, Jeby Abraham, Michael A. Fahmy, Christopher Dailing, Ferdinand Flores and Sajad Hamal. Sach Prabhu from Mercy Medical Center in Merced, CA, Alexander Broersen from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and Pieter H. Kitslaar from Leiden University Medical Center and Medis Medical Imaging System, both in the Netherlands, also participated. Funding for the study was provided by Wakunaga of America Co., Ltd., the producer of Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract. Dr. Budoff also has received honoraria from Wakunaga.

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