Table 2.
Covariate analyses of absolute and relative TC-standardized changes in β-carotene, lutein, α-tocopherol and total cholesterol concentrations after plant sterol or plant stanol consumption
| Covariate | Subgroup definition | n | Change vs. placebo | 95 % CI | P value between subgroups1 | Change vs. placebo | 95 % CI | P value between subgroups |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute change in β-carotene (µmol/mmolTC) | Relative change in β-carotene (%) | |||||||
| Baseline | <0.09 µmol/mmoLTC | 27 | −0.007 | (−0.009; −0.005) | 0.059 | −9.8 | (−12.6; −7.0) | 0.747 |
| >0.09 µmol/mmoLTC | 27 | −0.011 | (−0.015; −0.007) | −10.5 | (−13.7; −7.3) | |||
| Dose | 0.45 ≤ dose ≤ 1.6 | 16 | −0.008 | (−0.012; −0.005) | 0.985 | −8.5 | (−12.3; −4.7) | 0.587 |
| 1.6 < dose ≤ 2.0 | 14 | −0.008 | (−0.013; −0.004) | −9.9 | (−14.4; −5.5) | |||
| 2.0 < dose ≤ 3.0 | 16 | −0.007 | (−0.010; −0.005) | −11.2 | (−15.1; −7.3) | |||
| 3.0 < dose ≤ 9.0 | 8 | −0.008 | (−0.014; −0.003) | −13.8 | (−21.2; −6.4) | |||
| Duration | ≤4 weeks | 28 | −0.007 | (−0.009; −0.005) | 0.093 | −8.7 | (−11.2; −6.1) | 0.050 |
| >4 weeks | 26 | −0.010 | (−0.014; −0.007) | −13.2 | (−17.0; −9.5) | |||
| Sterol vs. stanol | Sterol | 31 | −0.007 | (−0.009; −0.005) | 0.206 | −8.9 | (−11.3; −6.5) | 0.039 |
| Stanol | 23 | −0.010 | (−0.014; −0.006) | −14.2 | (−18.6; −9.8) | |||
| Absolute change in lutein (µmol/mmolTC) | Relative change in lutein (%) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | <0.06 µmol/mmoLTC | 11 | 0.001 | (−0.003; 0.001) | 0.656 | −2.7 | (−6.8; 1.5) | 0.416 |
| >0.06 µmol/mmoLTC | 11 | 0.000 | (−0.003; 0.003) | −0.1 | (−4.6; 4.3) | |||
| Dose | 0.45 ≤ dose ≤ 1.6 | 10 | 0.000 | (−0.002; 0.001) | 0.134 | −1.1 | (−4.9; 2.7) | 0.171 |
| 1.6 < dose ≤ 2.0 | 4 | 0.002 | (−0.002; 0.006) | 3.0 | (−4.5; 10.6) | |||
| 2.0 < dose ≤ 3.0 | 3 | 0.001 | (−0.004; 0.005) | 1.6 | (−8.2; 11.4) | |||
| 3.0 < dose ≤ 9.0 | 5 | −0.005 | (−0.010; −0.001) | −7.8 | (−14.6; −0.9) | |||
| Duration | ≤4 weeks | 11 | 0.000 | (−0.001; 0.002) | 0.048 | 1.0 | (−2.6; 4.5) | 0.028 |
| >4 weeks | 11 | −0.002 | (−0.004; 0.000) | −5.6 | (−10.2; −0.9) | |||
| Sterol versus stanol | Sterol | 19 | −0.001 | (−0.002; 0.001) | 0.954 | −1.6 | (−4.9; 1.6) | 0.785 |
| Stanol | 3 | 0.000 | (−0.009; 0.009) | −0.2 | (−9.8; 9.4) | |||
| Absolute change in α-tocopherol (µmol/mmolTC) | Relative change in α-tocopherol (%) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | < 5.64 µmol/mmoLTC | 27 | 0.014 | (−0.039; 0.067) | 0.072 | 0.3 | (−0.7; 1.3) | 0.074 |
| > 5.64 µmol/mmoLTC | 27 | −0.077 | (−0.161; 0.007) | −1.2 | (−2.4; 0.1) | |||
| Dose | 0.45 ≤ dose ≤ 1.6 | 17 | 0.008 | (−0.064; 0.080) | 0.318 | −0.1 | (−1.3; 1.2) | 0.354 |
| 1.6 < dose ≤ 2.0 | 14 | −0.021 | (−0.105; 0.063) | −0.5 | (−1.9; 1.0) | |||
| 2.0 < dose ≤ 3.0 | 14 | 0.031 | (−0.067; 0.129) | 0.5 | (−1.3; 2.2) | |||
| 3.0 < dose ≤ 9.0 | 9 | −0.106 | (−0.225; 0.012) | −2.0 | (−4.2; 0.2) | |||
| Duration | ≤4 weeks | 32 | −0.011 | (−0.064; 0.042) | 0.952 | −0.3 | (−1.2; 0.6) | 0.947 |
| >4 weeks | 22 | −0.014 | (−0.102; 0.074) | −0.3 | (−1.9; 1.4) | |||
| Sterol vs. stanol | Sterol | 33 | 0.017 | (−0.037; 0.071) | 0.062 | 0.2 | (−0.8; 1.1) | 0.070 |
| Stanol | 21 | −0.076 | (−0.157; 0.005) | −1.4 | (−2.7; 0.0) | |||
| Absolute change in TC (mmol/L) | Relative change in TC (%) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | <6.1 mmoL/L | 30 | −0.337 | (−0.382; −0.291) | 0.002 | −6.3 | (−7.0; −5.4) | 0.364 |
| >6.1 mmoL/L | 33 | −0.435 | (−0.479; −0.391) | −6.8 | (−7.5; −6.0) | |||
| Dose | 0.45 ≤ dose ≤ 1.6 | 21 | −0.308 | (−0.357; −0.258) | 0.001 | −5.2 | (−5.8; −4.5) | 0.000 |
| 1.6 < dose ≤ 2.0 | 15 | −0.414 | (−0.473; −0.353) | −6.9 | (−7.8; −6.0) | |||
| 2.0 < dose ≤ 3.0 | 16 | −0.414 | (−0.474; −0.353) | −7.6 | (−8.5; −6.7) | |||
| 3.0 < dose ≤ 9.0 | 11 | −0.468 | (−0.543; −0.394) | −8.2 | (−9.4; −7.0) | |||
| Duration | ≤4 weeks | 37 | −0.396 | (−0.437; −0.356) | 0.548 | −6.8 | (−7.5; −6.1) | 0.162 |
| >4 weeks | 26 | −0.374 | (−0.435; 0.314) | −6.0 | (−6.9; −5.1) | |||
| Sterol versus stanol | Sterol | 41 | −0.365 | (−0.404; 0.326) | 0.026 | −6.1 | (−6.7; −5.5) | 0.005 |
| Stanol | 22 | −0.448 | (−0.509; −0.386) | −8.0 | (−9.1; −6.8) | |||
Expressed as means (95 % CI)
TC total cholesterol
1 P value between subgroups <0.05 indicates a significant difference in pooled effect sizes between subgroups