Effects of flaxseed supplementation on weight loss, lipid profiles, glucose, and high-sensitivity C- reactive protein in patients with coronary artery disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of flaxseed supplementation on weight loss, lipid
profiles, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and glucose levels in patients with coronary artery
disease (CAD). A systematic search was performed using various online databases, including Scopus,
PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library, to identify relevant randomized controlled
trials (RCTs) until June 2023. To evaluate heterogeneity among the selected studies, the Q-test and
I 2  statistics were employed. Data were combined using either a fixed- or random-effects model and
presented as a weighted mean difference (WMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Of the 428
citations, six RCTs were included. The pooled results did not show significant changes in the WMD of
lipid factors (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol) following flaxseed intake. However, after performing a sensitivity analysis to
determine the source of heterogeneity, flaxseed supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in
TG levels (WMD = -18.39 mg/dL; 95% CI: -35.02, -1.75). Moreover, no significant differences were
observed in either weight or BMI following flaxseed intake. However, the circulating levels of fasting
blood glucose (WMD = -8.35 mg/dL; 95% CI: -15.01, -1.69, p = .01) and hs-CRP (WMD = -1.35 mg/L; 95%
CI: -1.93, -0.77, p < .01) significantly decreased after the intervention. Flaxseed supplementation was
associated with lowering FBS, hs-CRP, and TG levels but did not affect weight loss parameters and other
lipid markers in CAD.