Effect of garlic extract on markers of lipid metabolism and inflammation in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#humans #coronary-artery-disease #garlic #lipid-metabolism #inflammation

Effect of garlic extract on markers of lipid metabolism and inflammation in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Gadidala et al., 2023 | Phytother Res | Meta Analysis

Citation

Gadidala Sai Kumar, Johny Ebin, ... Adela Ramu. Effect of garlic extract on markers of lipid metabolism and inflammation in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2023-Jun;37(6):2242-2254. doi:10.1002/ptr.7729

Abstract

Several preclinical studies have focused on the beneficial effects of garlic on cardiovascular diseases, but the results were inconsistent. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of garlic powder tablets and aged garlic extract (AGE) in CAD patients, mainly focusing on blood pressure, coronary artery calcification, lipid profile, and inflammatory markers. We searched PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Google Scholar to identify randomized controlled trials which examined garlic's effect on CAD patients. The standardized mean difference with 95% CI was calculated using fixed-effect or random-effect models. Garlic has shown statistically significant changes of HDL (SMD = 0.18; 95% CI = -0.00 to 0.37; p = .05); LDL (SMD = -0.27; 95% CI = -0.46 to -0.08; p = .004), apolipoprotein-A (SMD = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.24 1.13; p = .002), C-RP (SMD = -0.59; 95% CI = -0.92 to -0.25; p = .0007), IL-6 (SMD = -1.08; 95% CI = -2.17 to 0.01; p = .05), homocysteine (SMD = -0.66; 95% CI = -1.04 to -0.28; p = .0007) and CAC score (SMD = -1.61; 95% CI = -2.66 to -0.57; p = .003). In the case of subgroup analysis, the overall effect was significantly effective in reducing TC, LDL levels and improving HDL levels in CV risk patients. Our study findings provide consistent evidence that intake of garlic reduces CVD risk factors. However, garlic could be considered a safe natural medicine to debilitate inflammation in CAD patients.

Key Findings

However, garlic could be considered a safe natural medicine to debilitate inflammation in CAD patients.

Outcomes Measured

  • blood pressure
  • inflammatory markers

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition blood pressure

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Coronary Artery Disease
  • Garlic
  • Lipid Metabolism
  • Inflammation
  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Plant Extracts

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review, Journal Article
  • Vertical: garlic

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09