CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 25, No 4, July/August 2014
192
AFRICA
Letter to the Editor
Adverse effects of the ‘Noakes’ diet on dyslipidaemia
Dear Sir
There has been much hype and controversy over the so-called
‘Noakes’ diet. This diet advocates a low-cardohydrate, high-
fat and high-protein intake. As previously reported in the
Journal, Noakes has expressed the view that this diet coupled
with exercise could have a favourable impact on lipid levels
and potentially avoid the need for drug therapy.
1
In that same
report, it was noted that this has not been subjected to scientific
validation. More recently the ability of the Noakes diet to give
better weight-control results than a ‘balanced diet’ has been
questioned.
2
I have recently seen a patient who had been diagnosed with
dyslipidaemia several years ago and was receiving rosuvastatin 5
mg daily. A lipogram taken in April 2012 (on therapy) showed
a total cholesterol (TC) level of 5.1 mmol/l and low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of 2.9 mmol/l, respectively.
After two months on the Noakes diet, she had the lipogram
repeated. This now showed a TC of 12.9 mmol/l and LDL-C
of 9.6 mmol/l, respectively. This was in the absence of diabetes
mellitus and hypothyroidism.
While one case does not make a scientific study, it should
nevertheless alert practitioners involved in treating patients
with dyslipidaemia and attempting to lower cardiovascular risk,
that subjects on the Noakes diet should be cautioned as to the
potential risks and have their lipid profiles closely monitored.
C Schamroth, MBBCh (Wits), FCP (SA), MMed (Wits)
Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg
References
1.
Dalby AJ, Albers JL
.
Congress report: Cardiology and Diabetes at the
Limits.
Cardiovasc J Afr
2013; 24: 147–148.
2.
Naude CE, Schoonees A, Senekal M,
et al
. Low carbohydrate versus
isoenergetic balanced diets for reducing weight and cardiovascular risk:
a systematic review and meta-analysis.
PLOS One
2014; DOI 10.1371/
journal.pone.0100652).
Industry News
Cipla Medpro wins R280-million State therapeutic drugs tender
Cipla Medpro, the third largest
pharmaceutical company in South
Africa, today announced that it has been
awarded a R280million share of the South
African Government’s national solid-dose
tender to supply therapeutic drugs. The
contract is effective from 1 August 2014
and will run for a period of two years.
According to Cipla Medpro, the majority
of products to be supplied will be in
the mental health, cardiovascular and
women’s health categories.
Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla Medpro,
says that the company has for many
years been providing the private market
with high-quality products, and is now
committed to supporting Government
by providing all South Africans with
high-quality and affordable medicine.
‘With our country’s evolving healthcare
environment, Government has clearly
identified a growing need for therapeutic
drugs in the mental health, cardiovascular
and women’s health arenas, and we remain
committed to supporting them in these
much-needed therapeutic drug categories.’
Miller points to Health Minister,
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s recent Health
Budget speech, which highlighted the
need to tackle mental health and women’s
health challenges in South Africa.
‘With this contract, Cipla will now be
assisting Government with its National
Development Plan goals which include,
among others, reducing the burden of
non-communicable diseases such as
mental health among everyday South
Africans, as well as reducing maternal
deaths and improving women’s health by
tackling diseases such as hypertension.’
This latest Government tender win is
the third in the space of less than two years
for the growing pharmaceutical company,
and follows Cipla Medpro winning a
R345 million national respiratory tender
(June 2014) and an antiretroviral tender
valued at approximately R1.448 billion
(November 2012).
‘We are extremely proud to have won
this tender which is not only testament
to our high-quality product portfolio,
but is also in line with Cipla’s ethos
of advancing healthcare for all South
Africans’, concludes Miller.
