Prospective Safety Evaluation of a Cardiovascular Health Dietary Supplement in Adults with Prehypertension and Stage I Hypertension

Abstract

The findings of this study suggest that the investigated dietary supplement is safe for long-term use in adults with prehypertension and stage I hypertension. Additional results of this study, particularly the increase in serum potassium and decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, are promising and suggest that future research on this dietary supplement, or its ingredients, should further explore effects on blood pressure and biologic mechanisms of action, which may involve potassium-sparing and diuretic effects.

Effects of 12-Week Supplementation of a Polyherbal Formulation in Old Adults with Prehypertension/Hypertension: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

“…Rserpine is as effective as other first-line antihypertensive drugs in reducing SBP [82, 83] and it was widely used in the 1950s for treatment of hypertension. Reserpine can effectively reduce blood pressure, depress the activity of the central nervous system, and act as hypnotics [25]. Now only low dose of Rauwolfia is used as a cotreatment of hypertension due to its side effects such as oxidative damage to liver and other organs and depression [84].…”

“…So far, few studies compared single medical herbal ingredients with polyherbal formulation on prehypertension although combination therapy of different antihypertensive agents often results in better efficacy than single-pills therapy [85]. One recent study showed that 6-month supplementation of a mostly Rauwolfia serpentine formulation (plus several other herbal-mineral ingredients) in 30 adults with prehypertension or stage I hypertension significantly increased serum potassium (p < 0.05) but significantly decreased systolic blood pressure (p < 0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.0001) [25]. While no serious adverse events were reported, 30% of the participants withdrew from the citing potential side effects including nasal congestion or fatigue as the most common side effects [25].…”

“…EG contains gastrodin, gastrodigenin, gastrol, 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde, and 2,4-Bis(4-hydroxybenzyl) phenol as the main active components (Table 1). A recent randomized controlled trial showed that daily intravenous injection of 1,000mg gastrodin for 4 weeks significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressures and reduced plasma endothelin (ET) levels but increased nitric oxide (NO) level in older adults with refractory hypertension who had higher plasma ET and lower level of NO than people with essential hypertension before the treatment [25]. Gastrodin also reduced blood pressure and inhibited angiotensin II (Ang II) and aldosterone (ALD) and the expression of angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) but unregulated peroxisome proliferate-activated receptor gamma (PPAR γ ) in myocardium of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) [26].…”