ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT02726555Updated Aug 6, 2024

The Efficacy and Safety of Combined Therapy With Red Yeast Rice and Low-dose Statin:Comparing With Standardized Statin

A Phase 3 interventional study of Red yeast rice and atorvastatin and Atorvastatin alone in Dyslipidemia and Atherosclerosis, sponsored by Wenzhou Medical University. Recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 20 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-08-06.

Sponsored by Wenzhou Medical University · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by May 2026, 6 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Registered 4 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Nov 2015, registered Mar 2016).
  • Started Nov 2015; still recruiting 11 years later.
Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
240
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
20 Years to 80 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Double-dose statin regimen achieves merely 6% of decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, whereas the risk of side effects increased largely. The investigators' previous pilot study (NCT01686451) has suggested that red yeast rice was of similar lipid-lowering efficacy while was associated with less fatigue than statins. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined therapy with red yeast rice and low-dose atorvastatin in persons with mild atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and who qualified for statin therapy according to national guidelines.

Read the detailed description

Both Red Yeast Rice and Statins are cholesterol-lowering medications are often prescribed for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The investigators' previous pilot study (NCT01686451) has suggested that red yeast rice was of similar lipid-lowering efficacy while was associated with less fatigue than statins. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of combined therapy with red yeast rice at 1.2 g/day and atorvastatin at 10 mg/day with atorvastatin at 20 mg/day in persons with mild atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and who qualified for statin therapy according to national guidelines.

This study will enroll individuals with established mild atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and who do not currently take lipid-lowering medications. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive combined therapy with red yeast rice at 1.2 g/day and atorvastatin at 10 mg/day or atorvastatin at 20 mg/day for 24 weeks. Study visits will occur at screening, baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24. Blood will be collected for laboratory testing, and standardized questionnaires will assess noncardiovascular endpoints. Pill count will be used to assess adherence of treatment. Medication side effects will be monitored and tests of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) and creatine phosphate kinase (CPK) will be performed. Medication efficacy will be assessed and test of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) will be performed.

02

Conditions studied

  • Dyslipidemia
  • Atherosclerosis

Keywords

  • Red yeast rice
  • Atorvastatin
  • Mild cardiovascular disease
03

In context

Dyslipidemias

1,247 studies on the registry are indexed under Dyslipidemias; 175 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 240 is above the median of 100 across 986 interventional studies indexed under Dyslipidemias.

Browse Dyslipidemias studies →

Lead sponsor

Wenzhou Medical University is the lead sponsor of 94 studies on the registry; 8 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years to 80 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Patients with established mild atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, defined as coronary and/or carotid and/or peripheral artery lesions \<40% lumen diameter stenosis, diagnosed by coronary angiography and carotid and/or peripheral artery ultrasound respectively, together with LDL cholesterol level > 70 mg/dL (1.80 mmol/L).
  2. Female patients must be as defined by no menstruation for at least 12 months, or surgically sterilized for at least three months prior to beginning the study, or have a negative pregnancy test and agree to avoid pregnancy during the study and one month after the end of the study by using two reliable methods of .
  3. Patients must have been informed of all aspects of the study and signed an form before any study-related activities.
  4. Patients must be willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan, laboratory tests, and other study procedures.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients who have met all the above inclusion criteria will be screened for the following exclusion criteria.

  1. Patients who have been taken lipid-lowering medications including statins or red yeast rice products during the 4 weeks prior to the screening visit.
  2. Documented history of myocardial infarction (MI), unstable angina leading to hospitalization, uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), carotid surgery or stenting, cerebrovascular accident, , endovascular procedure or surgical intervention for peripheral vascular disease.
  3. Planned to undergo scheduled PCI, CABG, carotid or peripheral revascularization during the study.
  4. History of Class III or IV heart failure within the past 12 months.
  5. Known history of hemorrhagic stroke.
  6. Patients with uncontrolled hypertension at the screening visit. Patients on stable antihypertensive medication may be enrolled provided that the medications and dosage remain stable throughout the study.
  7. Cardiovascular surgery or major operations within 6 months prior to screening visit.
  8. Patients who are taking anticoagulants except aspirin at \< 325 mg/day.
  9. Patients with liver dysfunction as indicated by a serum (ALT) or serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level of > 1.5-times of (ULN) range, or clinical symptoms.
  10. Patients with elevated creatine phosphokinase level (above Upper Limit of Normal range).
  11. Patients with renal dysfunction as indicated by a serum creatinine level above ULN range, or clinical symptoms.
  12. Patients with gastric or peptic ulcer within 3 months prior to screening visit.
  13. Patients with medical history of hypothyroidism, pancreatitis, cholestasis, nephrotic syndrome, gall bladder disease, or primary biliary cirrhosis. Patients on thyroid replacement therapy at stable doses may be enrolled if clinically euthyroid.
  14. Patients with illness within 4 weeks prior to screening visit that may interfere with the conduct of this study.
  15. Patients with a history of alcohol or narcotic substance abuse within two years prior to screening visit.
  16. Patients with to lipid-lowering agents.
  17. Patients who have taken another drug within 4 weeks prior to screening visit.
  18. Patients with uncontrolled metabolic or endocrine disease knowing to influence lipid values.
  19. Patients who are known to be positive.
  20. Patients who have a history or presence of active (other than non-melanoma skin cancer) or clinically significant psychiatric, neurological, respiratory, hematological, or other conditions that in the opinion of investigators might interfere with or contraindicate participation of the patients in this study.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(12)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Postmenopausal

Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

TIA (transient ischaemic attack)

A “mini-stroke”: temporary stroke-like symptoms caused by reduced blood flow to part of the brain, spinal cord or eye, without signs of a new stroke on a scan.

Stroke symptoms need emergency care at once, even if they go away.

NYHA class (heart failure)

The New York Heart Association’s four classes of how much heart failure limits physical activity.

I
No limits: ordinary activity causes no undue tiredness or breathlessness.
II
Slight limits: comfortable at rest, ordinary activity causes symptoms.
III
Marked limits: comfortable at rest, less than ordinary activity causes symptoms.
IV
Symptoms even at rest; any activity makes them worse.

Studies set their own limit — many outside heart failure leave out class III–IV, while heart failure studies may ask for a particular class. Check the class this study names.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

Clinically significant

Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
240 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Red yeast rice and atorvastatin

    Participants will receive 4 identically appearing capsules twice daily for 24 weeks: 2 300mg of red yeast rice and 2 10mg of atorvastatin.

    Drug: Red yeast rice and atorvastatin

  • Active comparator
    Atorvastatin alone

    Participants will receive 4 identically appearing capsules twice daily for 24 weeks: 2 placebo and 2 10mg of atorvastatin.

    Drug: Atorvastatin alone

Interventions

  • DrugRed yeast rice and atorvastatin

    Drug pages: Red yeast rice · Atorvastatin

    Participants will receive 2 capsules of 300mg red yeast rice and 2 capsules of 10mg atorvastatin for 24 weeks.

    Also known as: Xuezhikang; Lipitor

  • Participants will receive 2 capsules of placebo and 2 capsules of 10mg atorvastatin for 24 weeks.

    Also known as: Lipitor

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level

    Time frame: Measured at screening, baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

Secondary outcomes

  1. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment on serum total cholesterol (TC) level

    Time frame: Measured at screening, baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  2. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level

    Time frame: Measured at screening, baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  3. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on serum triglyceride (TG) level

    Time frame: Measured at screening, baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  4. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on serum non-HDL cholesterol level

    Time frame: Measured at screening, baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  5. Percentage of Participants Who Experienced Statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMs)

    SAMs included all muscle-related complaints (e.g. pain, weakness, or cramps). Reported events are muscle-related complaints confirmed by an independent Clinical Events Committee (CEC) according to the nature of the muscle symptoms, the elevation in creatine kinase (CK) levels and their temporal association with statin initiation, discontinuation, and re-challenge.

    Time frame: Measured at week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

Other outcomes

  1. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on serum fasting blood glucose level

    Time frame: Measured at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  2. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on serum glycosylated hemoglobin level

    Time frame: Measured at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  3. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on Physical Activity Level

    Physical activity level will be estimated by short version of international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ).

    Time frame: Measured at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  4. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on fatigue scores

    Fatigue score is self-rated, ranging from 0-10. For the severity scale, 0=not present, 10=most severe.

    Time frame: Measured at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  5. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on Memory problems score

    Memory problems score is self-rated, ranging from 0-10. For the severity scale, 0=not present, 10=most severe.

    Time frame: Measured at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  6. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on Attention/concentration problems score

    Attention/concentration problems score is self-rated, ranging from 0-10. For the severity scale, 0=not present, 10=most severe.

    Time frame: Measured at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  7. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on Calculation problems score

    Calculation problems score is self-rated, ranging from 0-10. For the severity scale, 0=not present, 10=most severe.

    Time frame: Measured at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  8. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on Depression/hopelessness score

    Depression/hopelessness score is self-rated, ranging from 0-10. For the severity scale, 0=not present, 10=most severe.

    Time frame: Measured at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  9. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on Anxiety score

    Anxiety included restless, impatience, irritability, nervous, anxious. Anxiety score is self-rated, ranging from 0-10. For the severity scale, 0=not present, 10=most severe.

    Time frame: Measured at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  10. Mean percentage change from baseline at week 24 (or the last assessment) on Sleep problems score

    Sleep problems score is self-rated, ranging from 0-10. For the severity scale, 0=not present, 10=most severe.

    Time frame: Measured at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16, and week 24

  11. Safety will be assessed by the incidence of adverse events (AEs), discontinuation due to the AEs, clinically relevant changes on laboratory test results, vital signs, physical examinations, and 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECG).

    ECG and Physical exam only at Screening and Week 24

    Time frame: Screening, Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, week 16, and week 24

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • The Second Hispital of Wenzhou Medical University
    Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Nov 2015 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for May 2026, 126 months after the start.

Of 62 phase 3 interventional studies under Dyslipidemias, half reached primary completion within 22 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 12 and three quarters within 45. This study's planned 126 months is above that.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Mar 29, 2016
First posted
Apr 1, 2016
StartActual
Nov 2015
Primary completionEst.
May 2026
CompletionEst.
May 2026
Last update
Aug 6, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 6, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02726555
Lead sponsor
Wenzhou Medical University
Responsible party
Kangting Ji, MD (Professor of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 1, 2016
Start date
Nov 2015
Primary completion
May 2026 (estimated)
Completion
May 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 6, 2024

Study contacts

Kangting Ji, MD
Contact
jikt@wzmc.edu.cn
+8613676403180
Kangting Ji, MD
principal investigator · The Second Hispital of Wenzhou Medical University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drugs tested here: Red yeast rice · Atorvastatin

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