AHA: Red Wine Polyphenols Do Not Lower Blood Pressure

Polyphenol doses of 280, 560 mg did not reduce 24-hour, office, or central blood pressure

MONDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Consumption of red wine polyphenols does not reduce 24-hour, office, or central blood pressure (BP) in individuals with above optimal BP, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research 2011 Scientific Sessions, held Sept. 20 to 24 in Orlando, Fla.

Ilse P.G. Botden, M.D., from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and colleagues investigated the impact of red wine polyphenols on peripheral and/or central BP in individuals with high BP or grade 1 hypertension. A total of 61 individuals (mean age, 61.4 years) with average office systolic BP of 145 mm Hg and average diastolic BP of 85.8 mm Hg were assigned in a three period cross over study to receive dairy drinks containing either placebo, 280 mg red wine polyphenols, or 560 mg red wine polyphenols every four weeks. Office and 24-hour ambulatory BP measurements, and central hemodynamic measurements from continuous finger BP recordings were assessed after each four-week intervention period.

The investigators found that there was a nonsignificant decrease in the 24-hour BP after administration of 560 mg polyphenols (average decrease in BP from 142.5/83.7 to 141.8/83.2 mm Hg). The 24-hour BP was not affected by administration of 280 mg of polyphenols. No changes were found in the office BP, central BP, aortic augmentation index, or pulse wave reflection magnitude with either of the polyphenol doses.

"Our findings do not support the idea that polyphenols account for the cardiovascular benefits of red wine consumption by lowering BP," the authors write.

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