title: Effects of Roselle on arterial pulse pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the effects of regular Roselle ingestion on blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with established moderate essential hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  This non-randomized quasi-experimental study was conducted in Kafr El-Shaikh, Egypt, for 8 weeks, from September 2012 to November 2012. The effects of a 4-week period of regular Roselle ingestion followed by a 4-week recovery period on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), and heart rates (HR) was studied in 2 equal, gender- and age-matched groups (n=50 each; average age - 50+/-5 years) of normotensive subjects, and patients with moderate essential hypertension. Electrocardiographic assessments of LVH were also made prior to, and at the end of both treatment and recovery periods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pulse pressure (PP) significantly fell from baseline values by 10.9% (normotensive group [NG]), 21.2% (hypertensive group [HG]); SBP by 10% (NG), 19.6% (HG); DBP by 9.5% (NG), 18.7% (HG), and HR by 14.6% (NG), 17.1% (HG) by the end of week 4 of treatment. Following treatment cessation, SBP, DBP, PP, and HR returned to pretreatment levels over 4 weeks. Before intervention, none of the normotensive subjects, but 14 hypertensive patients showed LVH. However, Roselle treatment was associated with regression of LVH in 10 patients with only 4 patients showing LVH after 4 weeks of treatment. This became 10 patients 4 weeks after ceasing treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings empirically suggest favorable cardiovascular effects of Roselle in patients with established moderate essential hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 13317-4233, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 550049027. Fax. 966 (11) 2037108. E-mail: shafei1966@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ahmad I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Al-Shafei
authors.forename: Ola A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: El-Gendy
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D000075222:Essential Hypertension; D005260:Female; D031584:Hibiscus; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts