The incidence of diabetes type 2 is increasing rapidly worldwide as the population ages and unhealthy lifestyles are adopted. Diabetics have a multiple and increased risk of developing CVD compared with healthy individuals. This is why it is very important to treat their risk factors as effectively and as soon as possible. Plant stanol ester effectively reduces serum cholesterol in both type 1 and type 2 diabetics [5], [6], [7], [8]. Plant stanol ester has been recognized by both the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology Foundation guidelines as an effective tool to modulate dyslipidemia in diabetics.

When the patient already has cardiovascular disease, it is important to try to prevent the recurrence of a cardiac event by reducing all modifiable risk factors. Benecol products containing Plant stanol ester are an effective mean in lowering serum total and LDL cholesterol also in this group of patients. [9], [10]

For example, the addition of plant stanol margarine to the diets of heart transplant patients reduced cholesterol levels 22% more than statin did on its own. Subsequently, 70% of the patients were able to reduce their statin intake by adding stanol ester margarine to their diets [11].

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a genetic disease in which serum cholesterol level is elevated due to an inherited dysfunction in the LDL receptors. In consequence, LDL cholesterol excretion is decreased or blocked and thus its level in serum is increased. In those cases hypercholesterolemia can be detected already in childhood.

The efficacy and safety of using Benecol products enriched with Plant stanol ester has been shown both in adults as well as in children with FH [12], [13].