Several possible studies
Story checked
Nattokinase vs. statins and the limits of plaque data (opens in a new tab)
kevinmd.com · 2026-08-23
Short answer
Several possible studiesNo clear answer.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Checked against the study summary. The full text wasn't available, so some details couldn't be settled either way.
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The story
Nattokinase vs. statins and the limits of plaque data
kevinmd.com · 2026-08-23
The story’s checkable claims.
Read the original story (opens in a new tab)NewsLink checks it
Several studies could be the source of this story.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Open claim evidenceSearch result
Several studies could fit.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Source layer
The 4 papers the story cites
Source study separated from background citations.
The research anchor for the report.
- Cited as backgroundmentioned without context
Nattokinase Supplementation and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine · 2023
- Cited as backgroundmentioned without context
The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statin therapy in people at low risk of vascular disease: meta-analysis of individual data from 27 randomised trials.
Lancet (London, England) · 2012
- Cited as backgroundmentioned without context
2025 ACC/AHA Clinical Practice Guidelines Core Principles and Development Process: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines
Circulation · 2025
- Cited as backgroundmentioned without context
A VOYAGER Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Statin Therapy on Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels in Patients With Hypertriglyceridemia.
The American Journal of Cardiology · 2016
Evidence layer
Claim by claim
What the story asserts. With no source study, there is nothing to check these against.
Reading mode
Scan verdicts. Open evidence only when needed.
Claim 1 of 5Not checkedInterest in nattokinase is surging on social media and in search trends, fueled in part by influencer discussion of its cardiovascular benefits.View evidenceHide evidence
As statedGoogle Trends showed a 130 percent increase; #natto had over 200,000 Instagram posts
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 2 of 5Not checkedA study discussed in the article reported that high doses of nattokinase lowered carotid artery plaque by 36 percent and significantly reduced carotid intima-media thickness.View evidenceHide evidence
As stated36 percent reduction in carotid artery plaque
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 3 of 5Not checkedThe article says the study did not evaluate coronary arteries or whether the findings translated into fewer heart attacks, strokes, or deaths.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 4 of 5Not checkedThe article contrasts nattokinase with statins, saying statins and PCSK9 inhibitors have stronger evidence from many randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews, including outcome reductions in large trials.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 5 of 5Not checkedThe article notes a conflict of interest: five authors were employed by Sungen Bioscience Co., Ltd., which manufactures and sells nattokinase.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Method layer
No single source study was found.
NewsLink still surfaces nearby research so you can inspect the field instead of a single paper.
Nearby research
No exact source, but these papers are close.
PubMed, Crossref, Europe PMC · 19 candidate papers
Nattokinase Supplementation and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine · 2023 · PubMed
The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statin therapy in people at low risk of vascular disease: meta-analysis of individual data from 27 randomised trials.
Lancet (London, England) · 2012 · PubMed
2025 ACC/AHA Clinical Practice Guidelines Core Principles and Development Process: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines
Circulation · 2025 · Crossref
A VOYAGER Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Statin Therapy on Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels in Patients With Hypertriglyceridemia.
The American Journal of Cardiology · 2016 · PubMed
Effective management of atherosclerosis progress and hyperlipidemia with nattokinase: A clinical study with 1,062 participants.
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine · 2022 · PubMed, Europe PMC
And 14 more candidates considered.