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The effects of natural antioxidants from tomato extract in treated but uncontrolled hypertensive patients

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of adding tomato extract to the treatment regime of moderate hypertensives with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) levels.

METHODS

Fifty four subjects with moderate HT 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 or identical placebo. Plasma concentrations of lycopene, nitrite and nitrate were measured and correlated with BP changes.

RESULTS

There was a significant reduction of systolic BP after 6 weeks of tomato extract supplementation, from 145.8 +/- 8.7 to 132.2 +/- 8.6 mmHg (p < 0.001) and 140.4 +/- 13.3 to 128.7 +/- 10.4 mmHg (p < 0.001) in the two groups accordingly. Similarly, there was a decline in diastolic BP from 82.1 +/- 7.2 to 77.9 +/- 6.8 mmHg (p = 0.001) and from 80.1 +/- 7.9 to 74.2 +/- 8.5 mmHg (p = 0.001). There was no significant change in systolic and diastolic BP during the placebo period. Serum lycopene level increased from 0.11 +/- 0.09 at baseline, to 0.30 +/- 01.3 micromol/L after tomato extract therapy (p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between systolic BP and lycopene levels (r = -0.49, p < 0.001).

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 BP 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.