New study suggests zinc supplementation may lower blood pressure
High blood pressure: The medical community has had relatively little focus on zinc. However, evidence in healthy people suggests that zinc could help lower blood pressure in people with hypertension, according to a new meta-analysis published in The BMJ.
In healthy people, zinc appears to have protective effects against hypertension. In healthy people, zinc appears to have protective effects against hypertension.
Respiratory illnesses are estimated to cost the US $2.0-3.0 trillion each year, primarily due to long-term effects of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and upper respiratory infections, as well as exposure to air pollution.
Antihypertensive drugs, such as beta blockers, are an important treatment for high blood pressure, but are not always effective. Treatment with drugs to lower blood pressure can improve blood pressure and may reduce the risk of adverse events, such as organ failure.
There is a possibility that zinc has a role in the body's response to high blood pressure, according to lead author Eileen Osgood, PhD, from the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), Worcester, MA.
Zinc may help lower blood pressure by assisting potassium excretion in the blood
In the review, the researchers assessed the potential benefits of taking zinc supplements in people with elevated blood pressure - particularly in individuals with little or no improvement in blood pressure on the current treatment.
In healthy people, zinc appears to have protective effects against hypertension. However, there is currently limited evidence that zinc supplements may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease or death.
To shed light on the potential benefits of zinc, the researchers used studies from around the world, including randomized controlled trials, to look at the relationship between blood pressure control and zinc supplementation.
Zinc has been shown to work by increasing the amount of calcium and magnesium in the blood - namely in the lower and middle limbs, respectively. The combination of these substances may help the body excrete the excess potassium and magnesium that is produced by the body when high blood pressure develops.
There was a mixed outcome to the studies that the researchers reviewed, and this was significant, as zinc supplementation was associated with a 4% improvement in systolic blood pressure and a 2% improvement in diastolic blood pressure in healthy people with high blood pressure.
Higher levels of zinc intake were associated with lower blood pressure
The link between zinc and lowered blood pressure in healthy people was most significant in people with little or no improvement in blood pressure on current treatment, as opposed to those receiving drug treatment. However, the difference was small.
Findings were similar for low income, middle income, and high income individuals, and for people of different race/ethnicity.
The researchers note that, of the studies studied, more were randomized controlled trials, which are the gold standard in the evaluation of drug-based therapy.
Taken together, the reviews suggest that zinc supplementation appears to have some benefit in lowering blood pressure in healthy people who are not on current drug treatment, and raises the possibility that it might do the same in patients who are on current drug treatment and need further lowering.
However, they caution that further research is needed to determine whether zinc supplementation can help people with hypertension to control blood pressure. Further studies are also required to clarify zinc's role in controlling blood pressure in patients who are taking blood pressure lowering medications, which could be life-threatening if potassium levels are too high.
"Given the use of modern scientific and clinical methods of evaluation, a systematic review of the available evidence suggests there may be benefit of zinc in treating high blood pressure. Currently, when individuals with hypertension receive treatment with drugs, one of the most effective methods is an increased intake of zinc," says Osgood.
She explains further that high blood pressure is associated with a range of health conditions, which are strongly related to the way blood vessels are connected and their blood supply, in addition to their nutrient requirements.
Osgood concludes:
"To prevent disease and treat disease effectively, we must advance the ability to evaluate and modify a person's chronic disease risk factors and risk, and specifically these early years of life."
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