In a clinical study at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center,

 

 

In a clinical study at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center, Budoff and colleagues investigated whether aged garlic extract could slow the progression of coronary atherosclerosis using serial coronary CT angiography. 

 

Published in 2016, the trial included 55 adults aged 40–75 with metabolic syndrome, all of whom had detectable coronary plaque at baseline. This design allowed researchers to directly measure changes in plaque burden and composition rather than relying solely on traditional cardiovascular risk markers.

 

Participants received either 2,400 mg of aged garlic extract daily or a placebo for 12 months, with follow-up scans performed using the same standardized imaging protocol. Compared with placebo, those taking aged garlic extract showed significantly slower growth of total coronary plaque and a reduction in low-attenuation, lipid-rich plaque—a subtype associated with higher risk of rupture. The findings suggest that aged garlic extract may favorably affect plaque characteristics in patients with metabolic syndrome and early coronary artery disease, as demonstrated through direct arterial imaging rather than indirect measures.