Affiliation:
1. Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Research Center, Medical and Surgical Sciences Department Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna Bologna Italy
2. Italian Nutraceutical Society (SINut) Bologna Italy
3. Unit of Cardiovascular Internal Medicine, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Pathology IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero‐Universitaria di Bologna Bologna Italy
Abstract
AbstractOur aim was to evaluate if a nutritional intervention with a dietary supplement (Diuripres®) containing magnesium, standardized extract of orthosiphon, hawthorn, and hibiscus could positively affect blood pressure (BP), vascular health, and metabolic parameters in 60 individuals with high‐normal BP or stage I hypertension. Participants followed a low‐fat low‐sodium Mediterranean diet for 4 weeks before being randomly allocated to 8‐week treatment with two pills each day of either Diuripres® or placebo. Diuripres® significantly decreased systolic BP compared to placebo after 4 weeks (3.1 ± 0.8 mmHg; p < 0.05) and more consistently after 8 weeks (3.4 ± 0.9 mmHg; p < 0.05). At 8‐week follow‐up, after correction for multiple testing, dietary supplementation with Diuripres® was associated with significant improvements in diastolic BP (−3.1 ± 0.6 mmHg; p < 0.05), aortic BP (−4.3 ± 0.4 mmHg; p < 0.05), and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP; 0.04 ± 0.01 mg/dL; p < 0.05) in comparison with baseline. The reductions in diastolic BP (−‐3.8 ± 0.7 mmHg; p < 0.05), aortic BP (−5.2 ± 1.0 mmHg; p < 0.05), and hs‐CRP (−0.03 ± 0.01 mg/dL; p < 0.05) were also significant compared to placebo. Therefore, our study shows that dietary supplementation with Diuripres® may be useful in individuals with high‐normal BP or stage I hypertension.