Cinnamon beneficial for high BP patients, finds Study
Iran: Cinnamon can be considered as a complementary treatment for patients with stage 1 hypertension (S1HTN), suggests a recent study in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine. According to the study, consumption of cinnamon significantly decreased ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) but in a clinically moderate way and also improved lipid profile (decreased LDL-C and increased HDL-C).
S1HTN is defined as systolic blood pressure of 140–159 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 90–99 mm Hg.
The effect of cinnamon on blood pressure remains controversial. Fatemeh Shirzad, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, and colleagues, therefore, aimed to assess cinnamon effect on blood pressure, and metabolic profile of stage 1 hypertension patients in a pilot study.
For the purpose, the researchers conducted a s double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial between June and October 2019, in Mashhad, Iran. It included studies with S1HTN diagnosis, based on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM).
People were randomly assigned to cinnamon group (capsule, 1500 mg/day, 90 days) and placebo group. On days days 0 and 90, the researchers recorded ABPM derived systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively), blood lipid profile, and fasting blood sugar (FBS).
Key findings of the study include:
- The two groups did not differ significantly regarding vascular risk factors, educational status, lipid profile and blood pressure at baseline, except for lower HDL-c in cinnamon group.
- On day 90, there was no significant difference between two study groups for lipid profile and blood pressure.
- A statistically significant decrease in mean 24-hr SBP and mean day SBP was observed in the cinnamon group, while mean night SBP and mean night DBP were decreased significantly in the placebo group after 90 days.
- A statistically significant decrease in mean change of day value of SBP was found in the cinnamon group, compared to the placebo.
- On day 90, FBS remained practically unchanged but a significant increase in HDL-c (5.8 unit) and a significant decrease in LDL-c levels (17.7 unit) were observed in the cinnamon group compared to placebo group.
"Our findings reveal that cinnamon statistically significant but clinically mildly decreased mean ambulatory SBP in S1HTN patients. A significant and clinically meaningful decrease in LDL-c and a parallel increase in HDL-c were observed in cinnamon treated hypertensive patients," concluded the authors.
The study titled, "Cinnamon effects on blood pressure and metabolic profile: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in patients with stage 1 hypertension," is published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine.
DOI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7885002/
