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Favourable hypotensive effect after standardised tomato extract treatment in hypertensive subjects at high
Beata Krasińska1, Angelika Osińska, Aleksandra Krasińska
1Department of Hypertension, Angiology, and Internal Disease, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland. bkrasinska@poczta.onet.pl.
Insights
Standardized tomato extract (STE) improved blood pressure control in hypertensive patients. This finding suggests STE may offer new therapeutic uses for managing hypertension, especially in obese individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nutritional Science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
- Controlling blood pressure (BP) is crucial for reducing cardiovascular complications and kidney disease progression.
- Dietary interventions, like those rich in vegetables, are associated with reduced cardiovascular risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of standardized tomato extract (STE) or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as adjuncts to standard antihypertensive therapy.
- To assess the impact on blood pressure control in patients with arterial hypertension (HT) and high cardiovascular (CV) risk.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, blinded study involving 82 high-risk hypertensive patients.
- Patients received either STE or ASA alongside standard antihypertensive treatment for four weeks.
- Blood pressure was monitored using clinical and ambulatory BP measurements (ABPM); platelet aggregation was also assessed.
Main Results:
- The STE group showed a statistically significant reduction in 24-hour systolic BP, diastolic BP, and mean arterial pressure (p < 0.001).
- STE also significantly reduced pulse pressure (PP) during the day and over 24 hours (p < 0.05), particularly in obese patients.
- No significant reduction in ABPM values was observed in the ASA group.
Conclusions:
- Adding STE to antihypertensive therapy effectively improves blood pressure control in high-risk hypertensive patients.
- STE exhibits potential pleiotropic effects, including anti-aggregatory properties, warranting further research into functional foods.
- STE shows promise as a dietary supplement for therapeutic and prophylactic use in managing hypertension, especially in obese individuals.
Background:
Cardiovascular (CV) diseases remain a leading global cause of death. Lowering blood pressure (BP) reduces the risk of CV complications, especially stroke and acute coronary events, and it delays the progression of kidney disease. Adequate non-pharmacological treatment improves the effectiveness of the antihypertensive therapy. A Mediterranean diet with high content of vegetables (rich in tomatoes) is associated with a reduced CV risk.
Aim:
The main objective of the present study was to assess whether the addition of standardised tomato extract (STE) or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) to standard antihypertensive therapy can improve BP control in patients with arterial hypertension (HT).
Methods:
The study involved 82 high-risk hypertensive patients. Patients with primary HT at high to a very high total CV risk were randomised in a blinded fashion to one of two groups, i.e. the ASA and STE group. The patients had two visits, a baseline visit and one after four weeks of treatment. In all the patients, during each visit, clinical BP and ambulatory BP measurements (ABPM) were performed. Platelet aggregation was determined using the VerifyNow analyser.
Results:
After four weeks of treatment in the STE group, there was a statistically significant reduction in 24-h systolic BP, diastolic BP, and mean arterial pressure values measured in ABPM (p < 0.001). After four weeks of treatment in the STE group there was a statistically significant reduction in pulse pressure (PP) during the daytime and during 24 h (p < 0.05). Interestingly, it was found that the use of STE in obese patients significantly decreased the day PP (p < 0.05). After four weeks of treatment in the ASA group there was no statistically significant reduction in BP values measured in ABPM.
Conclusions:
The results of this study show that the addition of STE to standard antihypertensive therapy improves BP control in hypertensive patients with high CV risk. This effect, together with the anti-aggregatory effect, may indicate the pleiotropic effect of tomato extract. This fact justifies further research into functional foods and gives new insights into STE as a food supplement that could have new therapeutic and prophylactic uses for the treatment of hypertensive patients with high CV risk and especially with obesity.
