Hypertension. It's a primary risk factor for stroke and
heart attack—and it affects nearly one in three Americans.
1,2 Among those who have been diagnosed with
hypertension, about half don't have their condition under
control.1 Of more concern, an estimated 18 percent of those
with the condition are unaware that they suffer from high
blood pressure.3 That's not surprising since hypertension
often has no tangible symptoms. And nearly 30 percent of
American adults suffer from pre-hypertension, a condition
that puts them at risk of developing clinical hypertension.2
While pharmaceuticals can bring the pressure down, recent
studies show that a daily dose of Kyolic aged garlic extract
(AGE) safely and effectively reduces blood pressure and
benefits a number of other cardiovascular risk factors.
Findings slated to be presented at the 5th Science of Nutrition
in Medicine and Healthcare Conference in Australia, provide
clear evidence that supplementing with AGE can effectively
reduce blood pressure levels. In addition, AGE has a positive
impact on arterial stiffness. The double-blind, placebo-controlled
study, which was jointly conducted by Australia's
National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Bond University,
and the University of Australia, divided 88 patients with
uncontrolled hypertension into two groups. One group
was given 1.2 grams of AGE daily and the other was given
a placebo. After 12 weeks, the researchers found that the
patients taking AGE saw an average 11.5 mmHg reduction
in their systolic blood pressure and an average 6.3 mmHg
drop in their diastolic blood pressure compared to placebo.
In addition, the study's authors note that AGE improved
pulse wave velocity, a measure of arterial stiffness. The
study also flushed out smaller benefits to the inflammatory
marker TNF-α, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and
apolipoproteins—all factors that increase the risk of a future
heart attack.4
Another study recently presented at the American College
of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session & Expo lends
further evidence to Aged Garlic Extract's ability to lower
blood pressure. During the study, which was conducted at
the Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical
Center, four placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized
studies were pooled to examine AGEs effect on blood
pressure. The studies involved a total of 161 people who were
randomized to take either 1,000 mg of AGE or a placebo
daily for one year. All of the subjects had their blood pressure
checked at the beginning and the end of the study. Testing
was also done to determine the progression of coronary
artery calcification. One year later, the UCLA researchers
noted marked reductions in diastolic blood pressure among
the participants who took AGE. Coronary artery calcification
was also significantly lower in those who had taken the AGE
supplements. In fact, AGE inhibited the progression of
coronary artery calcification an average 1.78 fold compared
to the placebo over the course of the study.5 These findings
build upon previous research in the journal Maturitas which
found that AGE reduced systolic blood pressure an average
of 10.2 mm Hg compared to placebo, leading the researchers
to conclude that AGE offers benefits similar to first-line
medication used to treat uncontrolled hypertension.6
References
- CDC: Vital signs: awareness and treatment of uncontrolled hypertension among adults—United States, 2003–2010. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6135a3.htm.
- CDC: Deaths: Final data for 2009. www.cddc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr60/nvsr60_03.pdf.
- Yoon SS, Burt V, Louis T, et al. Hypertension Among Adults in the United States, 2009–2010. NCHS data brief, no 107. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2012.
- Ried K, Travica N, Sali A. Aged Garlic Extract for hypertension and arterial stiffness: The AGE at heart trial. Scheduled for presentation at The 5th Science of Nutrition in Medicine and Healthcare Conference. Pullman Melbourne on the Park, Australia. May 2–3, 2015.
- Hom C, Luo Y, Budoff M. The Effects of Aged Garlic Extract on Coronary Artery Calcium Progression and Blood Pressure. Presented at ACC.15 64th Annual Scientific Session & Expo. San Diego, CA March 14–16, 2015.
- Ried K, Frank OR, Stocks NP. Aged garlic extract lowers blood pressure in patients with treated but uncontrolled hypertension: a randomized controlled trial. Maturitas. 2010;67(2):144–50.