The Effects of Natural Antioxidants from Tomato Extract
in Treated but Uncontrolled Hypertensive Patients
In this study, researchers evaluated the effect of adding tomato extract to the treatment regime of moderate hypertensives with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) levels.
Fifty four subjects with moderate hypertension treated with one or two antihypertensive drugs were recruited and 50 entered two double blind cross-over treatment periods of 6 weeks each, with standardized tomato extract (a rich source of the antioxidant lycopene) or identical placebo.
There was a significant reduction of systolic blood pressure after 6 weeks of tomato extract supplementation, in the two groups accordingly. Similarly, there was a decline in diastolic blood pressure. There was no significant change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure during the placebo period. Serum lycopene level increased. There was a significant correlation between systolic blood pressure and lycopene levels.
Conclusions Tomato extract when added to patients treated with low doses of ACE inhibition, calcium channel blockers or their combination with low dose diuretics, had a clinically significant effect—reduction of blood pressure by more than 10 mmHg systolic and more than 5 mmHg diastolic pressure. No side-effects to treatment were recorded and the compliance with treatment was high. The significant correlation between systolic blood pressure values and level of lycopene suggest the possibility of cause–effect relationships.
SOURCE: Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy, Thursday, December 04, 2008