Aged Garlic Extract Reduces IL-6: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial in Females with a Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether a daily supplementation of aged garlic extract (AGE) could reduce inflammation in females with low risk for cardiovascular disease. The study was conducted at a single center, as a parallel randomized placebo-controlled trial. METHOD: 63 females with a Framingham risk score over 10 underwent cardiac computed tomography (CT) scan. Of those, patients with a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores less than 5 (n = 31) met the inclusion criteria and were randomized, in a double-blind manner to an intake of placebo or AGE (2400 mg daily) for 1 year. RESULTS: Main outcome measure was changes in inflammatory biomarkers, blood pressure, fastening blood glucose, and blood lipids. A total of 29 patients (14 in the AGE group and 15 in the placebo group) completed the study and were analyzed. Females treated with AGE showed lower levels of inflammatory marker IL-6 after 12 months of treatment compared to females receiving placebo (p < 0.05). The blood lipids had a trend towards a lowering effect in females treated with AGE; however, this trend was not significant. CONCLUSION: The present study concludes that AGE lowers IL-6 in females with a risk profile of cardiovascular disease. We could also conclude that risk prediction with cardiac CT scan turned out to be superior in estimating the risk of cardiac disease compared to Framingham risk score. This trial is registered with NCT03860350.