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.

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

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

2017 Frontiers in Nutrition

Cocoa consumption has strong beneficial impacts on cardiovascular health, reducing blood pressure, improving vascular function, and modulating lipid and glucose metabolism.

In the study's methodology, the link between the consumption of natural polyphenol-rich foods, specifically cocoa, and a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases was explored. The process involved evaluating cocoa's influence on various aspects, such as blood pressure reduction, vascular function improvement, lipid and glucose metabolism modulation, and reduction of platelet aggregation. This evaluation was performed in varying demographic groups, including healthy individuals, individuals with risk factors such as diabetes and arterial hypertension, and individuals with established coronary heart diseases or heart failure.

The study's findings indicate that cocoa's consumption has a significant and positive effect on cardiovascular health. Notably, it was found to reduce blood pressure, enhance vascular function, and modulate lipid and glucose metabolism. These beneficial effects were observed in all the subjects irrespective of their health status - healthy, at risk, or with established cardiovascular diseases. The results hypothesize several potential mechanisms through which cocoa exerts these positive effects, including the activation of nitric oxide synthase, increased availability of nitric oxide, and inherent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Cocoa, Blood Pressure, and Vascular Function Ludovici V, Barthelmes J, Nägele MP, Enseleit F, Ferri C, Flammer AJ, Ruschitzka F, Sudano I

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.