Objective To systematically evaluate the effects of soy isoflavone on lipid-related indicators in patients with hyperlipidemia.

Methods Randomized controlled trials on the effects of soy isoflavones on lipid levels in patients with hyperlipidemia were systematically retrieved from CNKI, VIP, CBM, Wanfang Data, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases. The search period was from the establishment of the databases to August 24, 2025. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Cochrane bias risk assessment tool, and Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software.

Results A total of 9 articles were included, involving 570 patients. The Meta-analysis results showed that soy isoflavone intake can significantly reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [MD= -0.34, 95%CI (-0.51, -0.16), P < 0.001], total cholesterol [MD=-0.40, 95%CI (-0.62, -0.19), P < 0.001], and triglyceride levels [MD= -0.25, 95%CI (-0.39, -0.12), P < 0.001].

Conclusion Soy isoflavones can effectively improve some lipid indicators in patients with hyperlipidemia, which may have positive implications for delaying disease progression. Due to the limitations of the quality of the included research evidence, the conclusion still needs to be further verified by high-quality studies.

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