4.5. Limitations
Our study has several limitations to consider. This study was conducted at a single center with a relatively short intervention period of 120 days. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of lipid-lowering efficacy and safety, it would be beneficial to conduct longer-term interventions with multiple research centers in future studies. The sample size in our study was relatively small, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. In addition, we lacked in vivo marker concentrations of nutritional supplements in the blood, and we did not collect lipid testing data at 120 days post-intervention, which could evaluate the sustainability of the observed effects. We did not include a control group for the lovastatin drug group, which prevented us from comparing NMSs’ efficacy with conventional drug interventions. These limitations should be taken into consideration when interpreting the results and designing future research in this area.