title: Long-term intake of North American ginseng has no effect on 24-hour blood pressure and renal function.
abstract: Ginseng is consumed by 10% to 20% of adults in Asia and by up to 5% in Western countries. Despite observational evidence suggesting a link between its intake and the development of hypertension, there remains no long-term scrutiny for its effect on blood pressure (BP). We therefore undertook a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, crossover trial in 52 hypertensive individuals to determine the effect of 12-week North American ginseng intake on 24-hour BP; we also measured serum cystatin C as a marker of renal function. After a 4-week placebo run-in, we randomly assigned 52 participants to 3 g/day of ginseng or placebo for 12 weeks. This was followed by an 8-week washout and a subsequent 12-week period in which the opposite treatment was administered. At run-in and at weeks 0 and 12 of each treatment period, participants were fitted with an ambulatory BP monitor to assess 24-hour BP. The primary outcome was the treatment difference at week 12 in mean 24-hour systolic BP. Secondary outcomes were treatment differences at week 12 in other ambulatory BP parameters and serum cystatin C. Forty participants (77%) completed the trial, with 3 removed from main analysis (n=2, antihypertensive drug changes; n=1, incomplete ambulatory monitoring). In the remaining 37, 12-week ginseng treatment was associated with a neutral effect on all ambulatory BP parameters compared with placebo; an intention-to-treat analysis supported this. Ginseng did not affect serum cystatin C level. Overall, long-term ginseng use had no effect on 24-hour BP and renal function in hypertensive individuals.
authors.affiliation: Risk Factor Modification Centre, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: P Mark
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Stavro
authors.forename: Minna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Leiter
authors.forename: Tibor F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Heim
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sievenpiper
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vuksan
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D001835:Body Weight; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D055316:Cystatin C; D015891:Cystatins / Q000097:blood; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005894:Panax; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C525030:CST3 protein, human; D055316:Cystatin C; D015891:Cystatins