2021 International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Isoflavones found in soybeans can reduce risks of certain cancers and alleviate menopause-related symptoms among women, such as vasomotor syndromes, spinal bone loss, and hypertension.

The study overviewed soybeans' chemical composition and focused mainly on isoflavones. The research examined the processes of soybean preparation that includes cleaning, drying, crushing, and dehulling, and extraction methods to derive various soy products, particularly focusing on isoflavones - daidzein, genistein, and S-equol. Various soy products such as refined soy oil, soy lecithin, free fatty acids, glycerol, and soybean meal were discussed, along with the presence of the minor biological constituents in remaining components.

The study explored the relationship between isoflavone consumption and disease prevention, particularly in relation to heart disease, cancer incidence—of the breast, bladder, and endometrial and colorectal—and menopause-related symptoms. The therapeutic effects of isoflavones were studied in the context of vasomotor syndromes, spinal bone loss, hypertension regulation, depressive symptoms during pregnancy, and in vitro glycemic control. In contrast, it failed to find definitive effects of isoflavones on cognition improvement and urogenital symptoms. The inconsistencies in defining the ingredients, doses, study durations, and outcomes of isoflavone studies proved challenging for the research.

Utilization of Isoflavones in Soybeans for Women with Menopausal Syndrome: An Overview Chen LR, Chen KH

2020 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

This study showed that the intervention time was concentrated at 4–8 weeks, mainly through Chinese herbal medicine for the prevention and treatment of elderly hypertension and the complications.

We systematically retrieved and summarised clinical studies on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the prevention and treatment of essential hypertension (EH) using the evidence map. We aimed to explore the evidence distribution, identify gaps in evidence, and inform on future research priorities. Clinical studies, systematic reviews, guidelines, and pathway studies related to TCM for the prevention and treatment of EH, published between January 2000 and December 2019, were included from databases CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. The distribution of evidence was analysed using text descriptions, tables, and graphs. A total of 9,403 articles were included, including 5,920 randomised controlled studies (RCTs), 16 guidelines, expert consensus and path studies, and 139 systematic reviews (SRs).

A total of 10 high-quality studies were retrieved, where qigong (20 RCTs), zhengan xifeng decoction (6 RCTs), Liuwei Dihuang pill (6 RCTs), and Chinese herbal medicine (24 RCTs) were considered to have evidence of potential positive effects. Xuefu zhuyu decoction (15 RCTs) was considered a positive effect; i.e., we are confident in estimating the research results.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Essential Hypertension: A Clinical Evidence Map Zhang Y, Wang B, Ju C, Liu L, Zhu Y, Mei J, Liu Y, Xu F

2020 Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets

Cinnamon supplementation has favorable effects on diastolic blood pressure and long-term effects on systolic blood pressure.

Out of 927 records, 8 trials that enrolled 582 participants were included. The pooled effect size showed that systolic blood pressure did not change following cinnamon supplementation. Also cinnamon supplementation in long-duration (≥ 8weeks) had a significant effect on systolic blood pressure. Pooled analysis showed that cinnamon had a significant effect on diastolic blood pressure. In addition, results from both duration subsets and high dose (>1500 mg/day) of cinnamon supplementation were significant.

What is the Impact of Cinnamon Supplementation on Blood Pressure? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Hadi A, Campbell MS, Hassani B, Pourmasoumi M, Salehi-Sahlabadi A, Hosseini SA.

2020 Clinical Nutrition ESPEN

Cinnamon supplementation can improve blood pressure by a modest degree.

Meta-analysis of 9 RCTs with 641 participants showed significant reductions in both systolic (WMD: −5.17 mmHg, 95% CI: −9.35 to −0.99, P = 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (WMD: −3.36 mmHg, 95% CI: −5.67 to −1.04, P ≤ 0.001) after cinnamon supplementation. Subgroup analyses indicated that these results were significant only when cinnamon was administered at the dosages of ≤2 g/day, for a period longer than 8 weeks, and in participants with a baseline BMI of ≥30 kg/m2.

The effect of cinnamon supplementation on blood pressure in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Hadi A, Campbell MS, Hassani B, Pourmasoumi M, Salehi-sahlabadi A, Hosseini SA

2019 International Journal of Hypertension

Acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy has antihypertensive effect.

The mechanism of acupuncture for hypertension is related to RAAS, vascular endothelium, oxidative stress, the neuroendocrine system, and other factors; also, there is cross-talk between multiple systems and multiple targets. In addition, the functional images, genes, metabolism, etc. change with antihypertensive effect. Acupuncture can protect target organs in addition to reducing BP. Overall, based on the mechanism research acupuncture may be an effective intervention for management of hypertension.

The Mechanism of Acupuncture in Treating Essential Hypertension: A Narrative Review Juan Li ,1 Mingsheng Sun ,2 Jing Ye,2 Yuxi Li ,2 Rongjiang Jin ,1 Hui Zheng ,2 and Fanrong Liang 2

2019 Journal of Sleep Research

Acupuncture therapy does not impact the severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, blood pressure, or quality of life in hypertensive patients.

The study examined the effects of acupuncture on blood pressure and Obstructive Sleep Apnea severity in hypertensive patients. These patients, all suffering from mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea, were randomly divided into two groups, one of which received acupuncture treatment while the other received sham-acupuncture treatment, essentially a placebo. Each patient's condition was assessed before and after ten acupuncture sessions, relying on measures such as polysomnography, around-the-clock blood pressure monitoring, and a life quality survey.

A total of 44 patients completed the study, the group covering both genders, with an average age of 57 years, and a diverse range of body mass indices and apnea-hypopnea indices. It's important to note that there were no distinguishable differences observed in the apnea-hypopnea index, daytime or nighttime blood pressure, or life quality between the group that received genuine acupuncture treatment and the group that received the placebo treatment.

Effects of acupuncture on obstructive sleep apnea severity, blood pressure control and quality of life in patients with hypertension: A randomized controlled trial Silva MVFP, Lustosa TC, Arai VJ, Couto Patriota TLG, Lira MPF, Lins‐Filho OL, Chalegre ST, B.B.A.S. K, Secundo IV, Pedrosa RP

2017 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

Of the 7 clinical trials included, five evaluating individuals with hypertension observed a significant reduction in systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure. The two articles that evaluated individuals with dyslipidemia showed improvement in lipid profile.

The mechanisms of action are still being studied. Regarding the bias risk analysis, clinical trials included showed few descriptions of the methods applied. There are few studies about sesame ingestion, and it was observed high risk for bias in the selected studies. More standardized methods with attention to the design of studies are needed to improve the level of the evidence.

The effect of dietary intake of sesame (Sesamumindicum L.) derivatives related to the lipid profile and blood pressure: A systematic review Carolina Alves Cardoso, Gláucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira, Luciana de Almeida Vittori Gouveia, Annie Seixas Bello Moreira & Glorimar Rosa

2015 PLOS One

There is evidence of efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy to western medicine for treating hypertension.

Our review provided evidence of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy to medication for treating hypertension, while the evidence for acupuncture alone lowing BP is insufficient. The safety of acupuncture is uncertain due to the inadequate reporting of it. However, the current evidence might not be sufficiently robust against methodological flaws and significant heterogeneity of the included RCTs. Larger high-quality trials are required.

Is Acupuncture Effective for Hypertension? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Zhao XF, Hu HT, Li JS, Shang HC, Zheng HZ, Niu JF, et al

2014 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Acupuncture significantly lowers blood pressure in patients taking antihypertensive medications.

Results from this meta-analysis of randomized sham-controlled trials provide evidence that acupuncture helped (lowered) BP in patients taking antihypertensive medications. Our results did not provide support that acupuncture alone significantly lowers BP in patients with hypertension. Larger RCTs with longer follow-up periods would help clarify the potential efficacy and safety of acupuncture for treating hypertension.

Acupuncture for Essential Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Sham-Controlled Clinical Trials Li DZ, Zhou Y, Yang YN, Ma YT, Li XM, Yu J, et al.