Chinese Herbal Medication for Masked Hypertension - Chinese Herbal Medication for Masked Hypertension

Oct 13, 2020
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Author/Summarized by Author:
Anthony A. Bavry, MD,MPH,FACC
Summary Reviewer:
Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, MBA, FACC
Trial Sponsor:
National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Date Published:
10/06/2020
Date Updated:
10/13/2020
Original Posted Date:
10/13/2020
References

Contribution To Literature:

This trial showed that a Chinese herbal medication was superior to placebo at reducing ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Description:

The goal of the trial was to evaluate a Chinese herbal medication compared with placebo among patients with masked hypertension.

Study Design

  • Randomized
  • Parallel
  • Placebo

Patients with masked hypertension were randomized to gastrodia-uncaria 5-10 g twice daily for ≥4 weeks (n = 126) versus placebo (n = 125).

  • Total number of enrollees: 251
  • Duration of follow-up: 4 weeks
  • Mean patient age: 50 years
  • Percentage female: 47%
  • Percentage with diabetes: 2%

Inclusion criteria:

  • Patients 18-70 years of age
  • Never treated for hypertension or discontinued antihypertension for ≥2 weeks
  • Office blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg and daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure 135-150 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure 85-95 mm Hg

Other salient features/characteristics:

  • Office blood pressure was 129/82 mm Hg in both groups.

Principal Findings:

The primary co-outcome, change in ambulatory daytime systolic blood pressure, was -5.4 mm Hg in the gastrodia-uncaria group compared with -2.9 mm Hg in the placebo group (p = 0.025).

The primary co-outcome, change in ambulatory daytime diastolic blood pressure, was -3.4 mm Hg in the gastrodia-uncaria group compared with -1.6 mm Hg in the placebo group (p = 0.011).

Secondary outcomes: No serious adverse events occurred.

Interpretation:

Among patients with masked hypertension, a Chinese herbal medication was associated with a significant reduction in ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo. Chinese herbal medication was associated with a 2.5 mm Hg reduction in ambulatory systolic blood pressure and a 1.8 mm Hg reduction in ambulatory diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo. Larger trials are needed to examine the efficacy of this Chinese herbal medication on other forms of hypertension and also if clinical outcomes are impacted.

References:

Zhang DY, Cheng YB, Guo QH, et al. Treatment of masked hypertension with a Chinese herbal formula: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Circulation 2020;Oct 6:[Epub ahead of print].

Clinical Topics: Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Disease, Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies, Prevention, Vascular Medicine, Hypertension

Keywords: Blood Pressure, Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory, Blood Pressure Determination, Diastole, Gastrodia, Herbal Medicine, Hypertension, Masked Hypertension, Plant Preparations, Primary Prevention, Systole, Uncaria


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