Background: Coronary artery occlusion is the main cause of myocardial infarction and death in Iran. Saffron is a native spice which is consume abundantly in our country. Saffron and its two main carotenoids; crocin and crocetin have strong antioxidant capacity. They can also prevent or delay atherosclerosis plaque formation through different signaling pathways so improve cardiovascular health. Objectives and main outcomes: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of saffron aqueous extract, crocin and crocetin on expression of some genes involved in the plaque formation including sirtuin-1, AMPK, NF-kappa B, MCP-1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, variables of lipid profile. Design, setting and conduct: It is an eight weeks double blind clinical trial conducted on 60 patients from Shahid Madani hospital. Patients were randomly divided into four groups. The questionnaires related to general information, the three-day food record, appetite levels, anthropometric measurements and quality of life will be completed. For biochemical tests, 20 ml blood will be collected after overnight fasting, at baseline and at the end of the study. Major eligibility criteria: Any overweight and obese 40 to 65 years old patients with coronary artery disease could participate. Intervention: The first group will receive two capsules containing 15 mg of saffron extract, the second group will receive two capsules containing 15 mg crocin, the third will get capsules contain 5 mg crocetin twice daily and the fourth group will receive placebo