Micronutrient Synergy Helps in High Blood Pressure

04 / 23 / 2014

One in every three adults, that is approximately 67 million people in the US, already have high blood pressure and many more have prehypertension. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is diagnosed when the blood pressure readings are consistently higher than 140/90 mm of Hg. Worldwide, there are more than 1 billion people living with uncontrolled hypertension, and the number is estimated to increase by 60% by year 2025. The lifetime risk of developing high blood pressure is more than 90% for people after 55-60 years of age.

Frequently termed as the “silent killer” because there are no significant warning signs, consistent high blood pressure damages multiple organ systems in the body. Over a long period, unregulated high blood pressure increases a person’s risk of a fatal heart attack or stroke, and is a cause of many other debilitating conditions such as heart failure, kidney damage, and various eye problems including blindness. Some people may have an inherited risk of high blood pressure, or their raised blood pressure originates from other organs such as the kidneys, adrenals, thyroid, or develops during pregnancy. However, in most other situations it is referred to as “essential hypertension,” indicating that the cause is unknown.

Our breakthrough understanding of the root cause of high blood pressure opens a new possibility. The main cause of high blood pressure is a chronic deficiency of essential micronutrients to the millions of smooth muscle cells lining the blood vessel walls. Nutrients such as vitamin C, lysine, proline, arginine, magnesium, and others are critical to maintain the strength and elasticity of the blood vessels and thereby maintain blood pressure.

In our in vitro studies¹, we have shown that the bioflavonoid extracts can inhibit angiotensin II dependent contraction by cultured aortic smooth muscle cells. Our in vivo studies have proven that the synergistic micronutrient mixture reduced blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels - the three important parameters of obesity associated metabolic syndrome - in immature wild mice fed a high fructose diet.

Furthermore, we conducted a pilot clinical trial² to evaluate the effects of synergistic micronutrient supplementation in patients (32-60 years old) clinically diagnosed with essential hypertension. At the end of the 6-month study, 70% of the patients showed a clear improvement in their blood pressure readings. Overall, their blood pressure dropped 15%-16% with average values at the end of the study being 132/83 mm of Hg, which is lower than the values defined by the World Health Organization for hypertension.

Conventional treatment of hypertension is confined to mechanically lowering the blood pressure reading and treating only associated symptoms. There are more than 11 main groups of antihypertensive medications available, with numerous subgroups and brands. The US national cost of treating high blood pressure, including missed workdays, reaches more than $47.5 billion per year. Yet, less than half of all Americans diagnosed with hypertension have their blood pressure under control. On this background, our innovative approach to target the root cause of hypertension at the cellular levels offers a safe and effective option for this pandemic.