Analysis of Beneficial Effects of Flavonoids in Patients with Atherosclerosis Risk on Blood Pressure or Cholesterol during Random Controlled Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Flavonoids are plant-secondary metabolites with cardiovascular protective properties. Few studies have examined specific flavonoid classes or pure flavonoids concerning some common cardiovascular risks. To obtain information in a systematic review to analyze in a meta-analysis, data were recovered regarding flavonoid intake in random controlled trials and atherosclerosis disease, related to risk factors such as blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc). Our aim was to conduct a meta-analysis using the Scopus and PubMed databases without restrictions on the year of publication, extracting articles over the period 1–15 April 2023, searching for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated different types of flavonoids, measuring blood pressure and low-density cholesterol plasmatic concentration. This paper’s Prospero registration is CRD 42023414153. There were 19 RCTs: twelve RCTs were considered for blood pressure data analysis and fifteen RCTs for total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol data analysis. The meta-analysis showed no significant differences between placebo treatments and treatments with different flavonoids on blood pressure. However, there was a significant difference found in quantitative analysis for TC and LDLc. In conclusion, flavonoid consumption can be associated with a lower risk of LDLc and TC, and more RCTs are needed to specify the effect of more types of pure flavonoids in atherosclerotic patients.