Groundbreaking Research on Management of Cardiometabolic Syndrome to be Presented at American Association of Naturopathic Physicians Annual Convention, August 11-15

Metabolic Syndrome Patients Can Benefit From Therapy Combining Medical Foods with Dietary Change, According to Preliminary Results of Multi-center Clinical Trial Sponsored by Metagenics, Inc.

San Clemente, CA (Vocus) August 11, 2010

Dr. Robert H. Lerman, MD, PhD, Director of Medicine at Metagenics, Inc. will present “Phytonutrients and the Metabolic Syndrome” during the 25th Annual American Association of Naturopathic Physicians 2010 Convention, in Portland, Oregon, August 11-15. He will discuss results from three studies including preliminary findings from a multi-center clinical trial evaluating the effects of a specific food plan and medical food combination in women with metabolic syndrome.

During the 12-week multi-center trial, all subjects were placed on a low-glycemic-load, Mediterranean-style food plan. The preliminary results suggest that while all subjects benefitted from the program, those who supplemented their diet with a specifically designed medical food called UltraMeal® PLUS 360° had better results in key risk factors for cardiovascular disease: total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and the ratio apoB/apoA-1.

Metabolic syndrome affects one in three American adults, significantly increasing their risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many other lifestyle-related chronic illnesses. It’s defined as the presence of three or more of the following: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, central obesity (“apple shape”), high triglycerides, and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Major health organizations including the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association recommend lifestyle therapy, including a healthy diet and exercise, as the first line of therapy in treating metabolic syndrome.
The multi-center clinical trial was conducted at the University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL; the University of Connecticut, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Storrs, CT; and the University of California, Irvine Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine and was sponsored by Metagenics (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01010841).

The trial preliminary results appear to support those of an earlier study conducted by Metagenics and published in Nutrition & Metabolism [(Lond) 2008;5:29 PMID:18983673], which indicated that individuals with metabolic syndrome benefited more from a professionally-guided lifestyle therapy program consisting of 1) a Mediterranean-style, low-glycemic-load diet, 2) moderate exercise, and 3) a soy-based medical food containing plant sterols and a supplement of patented extracts from hops and acacia than the lifestyle program without the medical food and supplement.

“The multi-center clinical trial results further support the use of Metagenics’ UltraMeal® PLUS 360° medical food as part of lifestyle therapy addressing metabolic syndrome and other chronic illnesses that may stem from it,” said Dr. Lerman. “We believe these results are solid evidence that our unique combination of lifestyle and targeted nutrition offers a powerful approach for naturopathic physicians in managing their patients suffering from this all-too-common condition.”

About Metagenics, Inc.
Metagenics, Inc. (http://www.metagenics.com), headquartered in San Clemente, CA, is a global life sciences company focused on reversing chronic illness and improving health. Metagenics supports healthcare practitioners in incorporating lifestyle medicine into their practices, offering education and practice management programs such as FirstLine Therapy® to assist them in this transition. More than 75,000 healthcare professionals in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, South America, South Africa and Asia use Metagenics’ products to help their patients achieve a lifetime of good health. Founded in 1983, Metagenics has established a leadership role by successfully merging nutritional genomics, functional medicine, and lifestyle medicine to develop solutions to society’s most pressing health concerns. In August, 2009, Metagenics entered into a joint venture with Alticor (http://www.alticor.com), a global leader in the nutrition and wellness industry. Alticor is an $8B corporation offering products, business opportunities, product development, manufacturing and logistic services in more than 80 countries and territories worldwide. Both Metagenics and Alticor share a philosophy for promoting good nutrition, healthy living and natural science.

About UltraMeal® PLUS 360° by Metagenics
UltraMeal® PLUS 360° is a medical food containing soy, phytosterols and patented extracts from hops and acacia, called selective kinase response modulators (SKRMs), which have been developed specifically to address metabolic syndrome and other chronic illnesses that may stem from it. UltraMeal® PLUS 360° is available by recommendation from a health care provider. To find providers who prescribe this product, visit http://www.metagenics.com.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Lerman, please contact:

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