In the subgroup of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis  , ursodeoxycholic acid  reduced total cholesterol ( WMD : − 29.86 mg/dL , 95 % CI : -47.39 , − 12.33 , p = 0.001 ) and LDL-C ( WMD : -37.27 mg/dL , 95 % CI : -54.16 , − 20.38 , p < 0.001 ) concentrations without affecting TG and HDL-C. Conclusion This meta- analysis suggests that ursodeoxycholic acid therapy might be associated with significant total cholesterol lowering particularly in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis
Objective The aim of this meta- analysis of r and omized placebo-controlled trials was to examine whether ursodeoxycholic acid treatment is an effective lipid-lowering agent .
Cholesterol-lowering effect of ursodeoxycholic acid in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.
We have previously shown in a 2-yr controlled trial that hypercholesterolemia , frequent in primary biliary cirrhosis , is lowered by ursodeoxycholic acid ( 13 to 15 mg daily ) . To further investigate this effect , we analyzed the influence of long-term ursodeoxycholic acid administration on serum lipids , lipoproteins and bile acids . The study involved a subgroup of 33 noncirrhotic patients ( 17 received ursodeoxycholic acid and 16 received a placebo ) analyzed at inclusion and after 2 yr . The total serum cholesterol concentration was markedly reduced in the  ursodeoxycholic acid-treated  patients in comparison with the controls ( mean + /- S.E.M. = 7.49 + /- 0.42 mmol/L and 7.07 + /- 0.23 mmol/L at entry and 4.44 + /- 0.40 mmol/L and 6.89 + /- 0.27 mmol/L at 2 yr in the ursodeoxycholic acid and placebo groups , respectively ; p < 0.02 ) . Quantitatively , this decrease was mainly caused by a fall in low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol , but very low density-lipoprotein cholesterol levels also fell significantly . High-density-lipoprotein cholesterol levels remained stable in both groups , but the high-density-lipoprotein2/high-density-lipoprotein3 cholesterol ratio fell significantly during ursodeoxycholic acid treatment . No significant change occurred in total triglyceride or total phospholipid levels . In the treated group , the proportion of ursodeoxycholic acid  increased ( up to 60 % of total circulating bile acids ) , whereas that of cholic and chenodeoxycholic acids  fell significantly . In conclusion , the cholesterol-lowering effect of ursodeoxycholic acid could be related to an improvement of cholestasis , modifications in cholesterol metabolism or both . Changes in endogenous bile acid composition induced by ursodeoxycholic acid might be the common denominator of these two mechanisms
In the subgroup of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis  , ursodeoxycholic acid  reduced total cholesterol ( WMD : − 29.86 mg/dL , 95 % CI : -47.39 , − 12.33 , p = 0.001 ) and LDL-C ( WMD : -37.27 mg/dL , 95 % CI : -54.16 , − 20.38 , p < 0.001 ) concentrations without affecting TG and HDL-C. Conclusion This meta- analysis suggests that ursodeoxycholic acid therapy might be associated with significant total cholesterol lowering particularly in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis
Objective The aim of this meta- analysis of r and omized placebo-controlled trials was to examine whether ursodeoxycholic acid treatment is an effective lipid-lowering agent .