Skip to main content
Log in

Nutraceuticals for Serum Lipid and Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive and Hypercholesterolemic Subjects at Low Cardiovascular Risk

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Advances in Therapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Primary cardiovascular (CV) prevention may be achieved by lifestyle/nutrition changes, although a relevant role is now emerging for specific, functional foods and nutraceutical compounds (NCs). The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of NCs in lowering blood pressure (BP) and improving lipid profile, when added to diet and lifestyle management versus diet alone in a group of patients with hypertension (HT) and hypercholesterolemia (HCh) with low CV risk.

Methods

Sixty-six patients with HT and HCh with grade 1 essential HT (mean age 56.0 ± 4.6 years) without history of CV diseases or organ damage were analyzed. These subjects were started on one tablet of an NC-containing red yeast rice, policosanol, berberine, folic acid and coenzyme Q10 once daily for 6 months and were age and gender matched with subjects following a diet program. Differences in clinic BP, 24-h ambulatory BP (24 h-ABPM), serum total cholesterol, low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C and HDL-C) and triglyceride values were compared by analysis of variance.

Results

In the treatment group, a significant reduction of systolic 24 h-ABPM (141.6 ± 6.4 vs. 136.2 ± 4.8 mmHg; p < 0.05) and pulse pressure 24 h-ABPM (52.6 ± 7.2 vs. 47.3 ± 5.4 mmHg; p < 0.05) was found at the end of follow-up. A reduction of total cholesterol (−19.2%), LDL-C (−17.4%) and triglycerides (−16.3%) was observed (p < 0.001 for all); HDL-C remained unchanged. No difference was found in the control group.

Conclusions

The tested NCs was found to be safe, well tolerated and effective in reducing mean 24-h systolic and 24-h pulse pressure and in improving lipid pattern.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lewington S, Clarke R, Qizilbash N, et al. Age-specific relevance of usual blood pressure to vascular mortality: a meta-analysis of individual data for one million adults in 61 prospective studies. Lancet. 2002;360:1903–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Gaziano TA, Bitton A, Anand S, Weinstein MC. International society of hypertension. The global cost of non-optimal blood pressure. J Hypertens. 2009;27:1472–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. ESH, ESC Task Force for the Management of Arterial Hypertension. Practice guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC): ESH/ESC task force for the management of arterial hypertension. J Hypertens. 2013;2013(31):1925–38.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Filippidis FT, Gerovasili V, Majeed A. Association between cardiovascular risk factors and measurements of blood pressure and cholesterol in 27 European countries in 2009. Prev Med. 2014;67:71–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Kim MK, Ahn CW, Kang S, et al. Association between Apolipoprotein B/Apolipoprotein A-1 and arterial stiffness in metabolic syndrome. Clin Chim Acta. 2014;437:115–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. European Association, for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, Reiner Z, Catapano AL, et al. ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (CPG) 2008–2010 and 2010–2012 Committees. ESC/EAS guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: the task force for the management of dyslipidaemias of the European society of cardiology (ESC) and the European atherosclerosis society (EAS). Eur Heart J. 2011;32:1769–818.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Elmer PJ, Obarzanek E, Vollmer WM, et al. Effects of comprehensive lifestyle modification on diet, weight, physical fitness, and blood pressure control: 18-month results of a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:485–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Osterberg L, Blaschke T. Adherence to medication. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:487–97.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Li Y, Jiang L, Jia Z, et al. A meta-analysis of red yeast rice: an effective and relatively safe alternative approach for dyslipidemia. Plos. 2014;9:e98611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Cicero AF, Tartagni E, Ertek S. Nutraceuticals for metabolic syndrome management: from laboratory to benchside. Curr Vasc Pharmacol. 2014;12:565–71.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Cicero AF, Ferroni A, Ertek S. Tolerability and safety of commonly used dietary supplements and nutraceuticals with lipid-lowering effects. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2012;11:753–66.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Trimarco V, Cimmino CS, Santoro M, et al. Nutraceuticals for blood pressure control in patients with high-normal or grade 1 hypertension. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev. 2012;19:117–22.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Houston MC. The role of nutrition, nutraceuticals, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Altern Ther Health Med. 2013;19(Suppl 1):32–49.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Palatini P, Frigo G, Bertolo O, Roman E, Da Cortà R, Winnicki M. Validation of the A&D TM-2430 device for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and evaluation of performance according to subjects’ characteristics. Blood Press Monit. 1998;3:255–60.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Estruch R, Ros E, Martinez-Gonzalez MA. Mediterranean diet for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med. 2013;69:676–7.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Tarone RE. A modified Bonferroni method for discrete data. Biometrics. 1990;46:515–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. McHugh ML. Multiple comparison analysis testing in ANOVA. Biochem Med (Zagreb). 2011;21:203–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Safar ME, Boudier HS. Vascular development: pulse pressure, and the mechanisms of hypertension. Hypertension. 2005;46:205–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Mazza A, Pessina AC, Tikhonoff V, Pavei A, Privato G, Casiglia E. Pulse pressure: an independent predictor of coronary and stroke mortality in elderly females from the general population. Blood Press. 2001;10:205–11.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Hong Y, Hui SS, Chan BT, Hou J. Effect of berberine on catecholamine levels in rats with experimental cardiac hypertrophy. Life Sci. 2003;72:2499–507.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Banach M, Serban C, Sahebkar A, et al. Effects of coenzyme Q10 on statin-induced myopathy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mayo Clin Proc. 2015;90:24–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Ho MJ, Bellusci A, Wright JM. Blood pressure lowering efficacy of coenzyme Q10 for primary hypertension. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009;4:CD007435.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Patti AM, Katsiki N, Nikolic D, et al. Nutraceuticals in lipid-lowering treatment: a narrative review on the role of chitosan. Angiology. 2015;66:416–21.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Rizzo M, Giglio RV, Nikolic D, et al. Effects of chitosan on plasma lipids and lipoproteins: a 4-month prospective pilot study. Angiology. 2014;65:538–42.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Trimarco B, Benvenuti C, Rozza F, et al. Clinical evidence of efficacy of red yeast rice and berberine in a large controlled study versus diet. Med J Nutr Metab. 2011;4:133–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Cicero AFG, Derosa G, Bove M, et al. Long term effectiveness and safety of a natraceutical based approach to reduce cholesterolemia in statin intolerant subjects with and withouth metabolic syndrome. Curr Topics Nutr Res. 2009;7:1216.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Arazzi G, Cacciotti L, Pelliccia F, et al. Long term effects of nutraceuticals (berberine, red yeast rice, policosanol) in elderly hypercholesterolemic patients. Adv Ther. 2011;28:1105–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Gonnelli S, Caffarelli C, Stolakis K, Cuda C, Giordano N, Nuti R. Efficacy and tolerability of a nutraceutical combination (red yeast rice, policosanols and berberine) in low-moderate risk hypercholesterolemic patients: a double-blind, placebo controlled study. Curr Ther Res. 2015;77:1–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Pirro M, Lupattelli G, Giorno Del, et al. Nutraceutical combination (red yeast rice, berberine and policosanols) improves aortic stiffness in low moderate risk hypercholesterolemic patients. Pharma Nutr. 2013;1:73–7.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mark AL. Weight reduction for treatment of obesity-associated hypertension: nuances and challenges. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2007;9:368–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Tang JL, Armitage JM, Lancaster T, Silagy CA, Fowler GH, Neil HA. Systematic review of dietary intervention trials to lower blood total cholesterol in free-living subjects. BMJ. 1998;316:1213–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Willett WC. The Mediterranean diet: science and practice. Public Health Nutr. 2006;9:105–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Article processing charges for this study were funded by Rottapharm SpA, a MEDA Company, Monza, Italy. All authors had full access to all of the data in this study and take complete responsibility for the integrity of the data and accuracy of the data analysis. All named authors meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship for this manuscript, take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, and have given final approval for the version to be published.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alberto Mazza.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

A. Mazza, S. Lenti, L. Schiavon, M. Zuin, M. D’Avino, E. Ramazzina and E. Casiglia declare no conflict of interest.

Compliance with ethics guidelines

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964, as revised in 2013. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 191 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mazza, A., Lenti, S., Schiavon, L. et al. Nutraceuticals for Serum Lipid and Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive and Hypercholesterolemic Subjects at Low Cardiovascular Risk. Adv Ther 32, 680–690 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-015-0229-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-015-0229-x

Keywords

Navigation