Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, reaching the 31% of deaths in 2012. CVDs represent also the major cause of disability in developed countries and has been estimated that their growing burden could lead to a global increase in loss of disability-adjusted life years (DALY), from a loss of 85 million DALYs of 1990 to a loss of \~ 150 million DALYs in 2020, becoming a major cause of no psychic responsible for lost productivity. Several risk factors contribute to the aetiology and development of CVD. These factors have been traditionally stratified into modifiable risk factors through the lifestyle changes or by taking a pharmacologic treatment (e.g. hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia) and not modifiable risk factors (age, male sex and family history). Essential hypertension is the most common modifiable risk factor in the general population, with a prevalence in Western Countries -including Italy- ranging between about 25-45%. Given the large prevalence of the disease of the general population, hypertension is responsible for the vast majority of CVD in individuals with different CV risk profiles, despite the availability of effective and well tolerated antihypertensive therapies. In this regard, several reports have shown that hypertensive patients often present additional CV and metabolic risk factors, mostly hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, which further contribute to increase the individual risk of developing hypertension-related complications, including stroke, end-stage renal disease, congestive heart failure, and CVD death. The concomitant presence of hypertension and dyslipidaemia is also responsible for the objective difficulty in achieving the recommended therapeutic targets for BP and cholesterol levels in a setting of clinical practice. Several pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions have been proposed for ameliorating the relatively low rates of control of hypertension. Among these, an extensive use of nutrients and food supplements has been shown to provide favourable effects in the management and control of high-normal blood pressure (BP) (or pre-hypertension), that increases the risk of developing hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and renal failure.
Among food supplements largely used in this field, Orthosiphon stamineus Benth leaf extract has been recognized for its well-known diuretic properties; extract of hawthorn (Crataegus curvisepala Lind.) has been shown to exert a renal-protective effect in high salt-induced hypertension and extract of hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is well known for its antihypertensive and vasodilator effect in human. Moreover, supplementation with magnesium has been recently found to play a critical role in BP regulation, through directly stimulating prostacyclin and nitric oxide formation, modulating endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation, reducing vascular tone and reactivity, and preventing vascular injury via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of a combined food supplement (NUT) containing magnesium, standardized extract of orthosiphon (Orthosiphon stamineus Benth), standardized extract of hawthorn (Crataegus curvisepala Lind.) and standardized extract of hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) compared to placebo, on blood pressure and other markers of vascular aging in subjects with high-normal blood pressure.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
60
Dietary supplement formulated with magnesium, standardized extract of orthosiphon, standardized extract of hawthorn and standardized extract of hibiscus. Each tablet contains: 0.1 g magnesium, 0.25 g standardized extract of orthosiphon (Orthosiphon stamineus Benth), 0.16 standardized extract of hawthorn (Crataegus curvisepala Lind.) and 0.08 g standardized extract of hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.). Oral administration: 2 tablets/day at evening meal
Oral administration: 2 tablets/day at evening meal
S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital
Bologna, Italy
Systolic blood pressure absolute reduction from baseline and between groups
Absolute reduction of systolic blood pressure after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Diastolic blood pressure absolute reduction from baseline and between groups
Absolute reduction of diastolic blood pressure after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Systolic blood pressure absolute reduction from baseline and between groups
Absolute reduction of systolic blood pressure after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Diastolic blood pressure absolute reduction from baseline and between groups
Absolute reduction of diastolic blood pressure after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Percent reduction from baseline and between groups in vascular reactivity
Percent reduction of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Percent reduction from baseline and between groups in vascular reactivity
Percent reduction of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in body weight
Absolute change of body weight after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in body weight
Absolute change of body weight after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in body mass index
Absolute change of body mass index after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in body mass index
Absolute change of body mass index after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in waist circumference
Absolute change of waist circumference after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in waist circumference
Absolute change of waist circumference after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in hip circumference
Absolute change of hip circumference after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in hip circumference
Absolute change of hip circumference after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in waist/hip circumference ratio
Absolute change waist/hip circumference ratio after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in waist/hip circumference ratio
Absolute change waist/hip circumference ratio after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in the index of central obesity
Absolute change of the index of central obesity after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in the index of central obesity
Absolute change of the index of central obesity after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in the visceral adiposity index
Absolute change of the visceral adiposity index after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in the visceral adiposity index
Absolute change of the visceral adiposity index after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in fat and lean mass
Absolute change of fat and lean mass after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in fat and lean mass
Absolute change of fat and lean mass after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in renal function
Absolute change of creatinine and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in renal function
Absolute change of creatinine and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in serum lipids
Absolute change of serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides - TG, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol - HDL-C, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol - non HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol - LDL-C after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in lipids ratios
Absolute change of lipids ratios after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in serum lipids
Absolute change of serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides - TG, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol - HDL-C, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol - non HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol - LDL-C after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in serum lipids ratios
Absolute change of lipids ratios after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in high sensitivity C reactive protein
Absolute change of high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in high sensitivity C reactive protein
Absolute change of high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in serum uric acid concentrations
Absolute change of serum uric acid after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in serum uric acid concentrations
Absolute change of serum uric acid after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in fasting plasma glucose concentrations
Absolute change of fasting plasma glucose after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in fasting plasma glucose concentrations
Absolute change of fasting plasma glucose after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Treatment acceptability
Evaluation of patients' satisfaction assessed by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scale (with two end points representing 0 -low acceptability- and 10 -high acceptability-) after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Treatment acceptability
Evaluation of patients' satisfaction assessed by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scale (with two end points representing 0 -low acceptability- and 10 -high acceptability-) after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Treatment tolerability
Evaluation of treatment's tolerability assessed by patients with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scale (with two end points representing 0 -no pain- and 10 -pain as bad as it could possibly be-) after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Treatment tolerability
Evaluation of treatment's tolerability assessed by patients with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scale (with two end points representing 0 -no pain- and 10 -pain as bad as it could possibly be-) after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in liver transaminases and gamma glutamil transferase
Absolute reduction of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and gamma glutamil transferase after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in liver transaminases and gamma glutamil transferase
Absolute reduction of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and gamma glutamil transferase after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in augumentation pressure
Absolute change of augumentation pressure after 4 weeks of treatment assessed by Vicorder software
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in augumentation index
Absolute change of augumentation index after 4 weeks of treatment assessed by Vicorder software
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in augumentation pressure
Absolute change of augumentation pressure after 8 weeks of treatment assessed by Vicorder software
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in augumentation index
Absolute change of augumentation index after 8 weeks of treatment assessed by Vicorder software
Time frame: 8 weeks
Percent change from baseline and between groups in the estimated body water content
Percent change of the body water content after 4 weeks of treatment, assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
Time frame: 4 weeks
Percent change from baseline and between groups in the estimated body water content
Percent change of the body water content after 8 weeks of treatment, assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
Time frame: 8 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in estimated risk of cardiovascular disease
Absolute change of the percent estimated risk of cardiovascular disease after 4 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 4 weeks
Absolute change from baseline and between groups in estimated risk of cardiovascular disease
Absolute change of the percent estimated risk of cardiovascular disease after 8 weeks of treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.