Pycnogenol® normalizes blood pressure

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

High blood pressure is the most common risk factor for cardiovascular diseases leading to stroke and heart infarction. A blood pressure exceeding normal values of <140/90 mmHg accounts for 40,000 deaths annualy in the Unites States (Levy et al., 1996). Blood pressure is known to increase with age, from an age of thirty to 65 years the blood pressure increases in average by 20 mmHg systolic and 10 mmHg diastolic. More than 50% of hypertensive patients are aged above 65 years (Zannad, 2000). Other contributing factors are obesity and chronic mental stress, such as job stress resulting from high demand at work in combination with low control (Pickering, 2001).

Ronald Watson PhD, of the College of Public Health in Tucson, Arizona, has discovered that the dietary supplement Pycnogenol®, the extract of French maritime pine bark, significantly reduces blood pressure (Hosseini et al., 2001). Pycnogenol® is the powerful antioxidant with a wealth of additional functions for maintaining a healthy circulation.

Dr. Watson investigated 11 subjects with an average age of fifty years having mild hypertension, systolic blood pressure of 140-159 mmHg, and/or diastolic blood pressure of 90-99 mgHg. People with a blood pressure within this range are diagnosed as stage I hypertensive (Joint Nacional Committe, 1997). Stage I hypertension is not routinely treated with standard drugs and the participants in this study refrained from using any medication.

Dr. Watson gave volunteers 200 mg Pycnogenol® per day for eight weeks in a placebo controlled, double blind, crossover study design. The outcome of the study was that Pycnogenol® reduced systolic blood pressure to 134 mmHg, and reduced diastolic blood pressure to 94 mmHg. The reduction of systolic blood pressure by Pycnogenol® treatment was shown to be statistically significant as compared to supplementation with placebo. Separate analysis of the four patients with the highest systolic blood pressure (average 150 mmHg) revealed that Pycnogenol® was particularly effective by decreasing their average value to 135 mmHg.

Dr. Watson believes that Pycnogenol's ability to elevate production of a substance called nitric oxide (NO) is responsible for the reduction of blood pressure. Muscles surrounding blood vessels control their diameter and in consequence the blood flow and pressure. While stress hormones instruct these muscles to constrict (reducing diameter and increasing blood pressure), NO does the contrary and relaxes these muscles. Dr. Fitzpatrick (University of South Florida, Tampa) has shown that Pycnogenol® counteracts the action of stress hormones by elevating production of NO to more efficiently expand blood vessels and improve blood flow (Fitzpatrick, 1998).

Pycnogenol® did not only reduce blood pressure in patients. Dr. Watson found that the amounts of an important blood parameter, thromboxane, was reduced after treatment with Pycnogenol®. Thromboxane is triggering increased constriction of blood vessels and at the same time instructing blood platelets to turn sticky. Both of these processes may ultimately lead to formation of a blood clot which in turn may clog a constricted blood vessel. This is the process responsible for causing heart infarction and stroke.

In previous studies Dr. Watson had demonstrated in human volunteers that Pycnogenol® prevents the aggregation of blood platelets (Pütter et al., 1999). Taking all clinical evidence together Pycnogenol® represents the supplement of choice for an allround protection of the cardiovascular system. Pycnogenol® prevents oxidation of cholesterol, prevents platelet aggregation, releases constricted blood vessels, improves blood circulation and reduces blood pressure.

1. Hosseini S, Lee J, Sepulveda RT, Fagan T, Rohdewald P, Watson RR. A Randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, prospective, 16 week crossover study to determine the role of Pycnogenol in modifying blood pressure in mildly hypertensive patients. Nutr Res 21(9): 67-76, 2001.
2. Levy D, Larson MG, Vasan RS, Kannel WB, Ho KL. The progression from hypertension to congestive heart failure. JAMA 275: 1557-1562, 1996.
3. Zannad F. The potential advantages of a modern antihypertensive therapy in the elderly. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 35(Suppl 1):19-23, 2000.
4. Pickering TG. Mental stress as a causal factor in the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Curr Hypertens Rep 3: 249-254, 2001.
5. Joint National Committee. The sixth report at the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Arch Intern Med 157: 2413-2446, 1997.
6. Fitzpatrick DF, Bing B, Rohdewald P. Endothelium dependent vascular effects of Pycnogenol. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 32: 509-515, 1998.
7. Pütter M, Grotemeyer KH, Würthwein G, Araghi-Niknam N, Watson RR, Rohdewald P. Inhibition of smoking-induced platelet aggregation by aspirin and Pycnogenol. Thromb Res 95: 155-162, 1999.