Study Indicates Metagenics Medical Food With Select Kinase Response Modulators (SKRMS) Has Powerful Effect On Metabolic Syndrome

June 4, 2007 – San Clemente, CA – A new study demonstrates the positive effects of a medical food featuring select kinase response modulators (SKRMs) and a popular therapeutic lifestyle change program recommended for people with metabolic syndrome. SKRMs are molecules that influence the activity of kinases, proteins that control cellular behavior.

In the 12-week open-labeled, randomized, 2-arm study, 44 subjects with metabolic syndrome were placed on a therapeutic lifestyle change program that included a low-glycemic-load (LGL) diet with no calorie restrictions and moderate aerobic exercise with a goal of 150 minutes a week. Subjects in the intervention arm additionally received a soy-based medical food containing plant sterols and the SKRMs RIAA (a derivative of the hops plant) and acacia (extracted from the bark of the Acacia nilotica tree). The study was conducted in Gig Harbor, WA at the Functional Medicine Research Center, the research arm of Metagenics, Inc.

“When combined, RIAA and acacia positively affect the way our cells utilize insulin and promote healthy triglyceride levels,” said Jeffrey Bland, PhD, President of MetaProteomics—Metagenics’ Nutrigenomics Research Centerand Chief Science Officer of Metagenics. “Our study demonstrates the dramatic impact of this specificity especially when applied to a therapeutic lifestyle program,” he said.

Both groups lost weight despite no calorie restrictions, indicating the effectiveness of good compliance with the program. However, the intervention group showed remarkably better results in the following key cardiovascular parameters:

Statistically greater reductions in lipid parameters, including the fasting serum cholesterol, triglycerides, cholesterol/HDL ratio, and triglyceride/HDL ratio
Statistically greater reduction in serum homocysteine, an indicator of coronary artery disease
Significant increase in HDL (“good”) cholesterol
Persistent lowering effects on apoB, considered a better indicator of cardiovascular disease than total cholesterol or LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
Persistent lowering effects on apoB/apoA1 ratio, a newly recognized, increasingly significant indicator of cardiovascular disease risk

The Food and Drug Administration defines medical foods as “prescribed by a physician when a patient has special nutrient needs in order to manage a disease or health condition, and the patient is under the physician's ongoing care.” Soy protein has been shown to have cholesterol-lowering effects and may be more beneficial than animal protein in reducing the risk of heart disease. Plant sterols have been shown to promote healthy cholesterol levels, and may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Therapeutic lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise are often prescribed in the early management of metabolic syndrome, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome affects nearly 50 million (1 in 4) adults in the U.S. and is characterized by a set of clinical criteria that typically includes 3 or more of the following: high blood sugar, central obesity (“apple shape”), high blood lipids, hypertension, and high triglycerides.

About Metagenics

Metagenics, Inc. is a life sciences company and leading developer and manufacturer of science-based nutraceuticals and medical foods sold to healthcare practitioners worldwide. It is headquartered in San Clemente, Calif. with manufacturing and multiple research facilities located in Gig Harbor, Wash., including its MetaProteomics® Nutrigenomics Research Center and Functional Medicine Research CenterSM for human clinical research. Metagenics holds multiple proprietary formula patents and produces over 400 research-based products to optimize health. The company demonstrates its commitment to purity and quality through its certifications for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) from the NPA, NSF International, and TGA. For more information about Metagenics, please visit the company’s Web site at www.metagenics.com.
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