title: Nigella sativa: A potential natural protective agent against cardiac dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of Nigella sativa supplementation on cardiac functions in Type 2 diabetic patients treated with oral hypoglycemic agents.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Diabetes mellitus is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. A number of reported beneficial effects of N. sativa on cardiovascular function were the inspiration for this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients with uncontrolled diabetes (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] >7%) and with no known cardiovascular complications were recruited from the outpatient diabetes clinic. They were assigned, by convenience, to two groups; the control group received activated charcoal as placebo while the test group received 2 g/day of powdered N. sativa for 1-year. All patients continued with their standard oral hypoglycemic agents. Echocardiography was used to evaluate the diastolic function, systolic function, and left ventricular mass (LVM) before the intervention and after 6 and 12 months of the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HbA1c decreased significantly in the N. sativa group but did not change in the control group. Echocardiographic assessment in the control group showed impairment in diastolic function after 12 months, but there were no significant changes in fractional shortening (FS) or ejection fraction (EF). Furthermore, left ventricular (LV) dimensions at diastole and systole, LVM, and LVM index were significantly increased. In N. sativa group, no significant changes were found in diastolic function or LVM. LV dimension at systole was decreased while FS and EF were significantly increased after 6 and 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  N. sativa supplementation may protect the hearts of type 2 diabetic patients from diastolic dysfunction while improving LV systolic function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bamosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Huda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaatabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Khadra
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdulmohsen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al Elq
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Bodour
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abou-Hozaifa
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lebda
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sameeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Almaie
keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Nigella sativa; diastolic function; echocardiography; left ventricular mass; systolic function