Moein Askarpour1, Ehsan Ghaedi2, Neda Roshanravan3, Amir Hadi4, Hamed Mohammadi5, Michael E Symonds6, Maryam Miraghajani7. 1. Department of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2. Department of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Students' Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: ehsanghaedi073@yahoo.com. 3. Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz, Iran. 4. Halal Research Center of IRI, FDA, Tehran, Iran; Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. 5. Student Research Committee, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. 6. The Early Life Research Unit, Academic Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Nottingham Digestive Disease Centre and Biomedical Research Centre, The School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK. 7. Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; The Early Life Research Unit, Academic Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Nottingham Digestive Disease Centre and Biomedical Research Centre, The School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK; The Early Life Research Unit, Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University ofNottingham, Nottingham, UK. Electronic address: maryam.sadatmiraghajani@nottingham.ac.uk.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Policosanol contains a mixture of concentrated primary aliphatic alcohols extracted from sugar cane wax and is recognized as a cholesterol-lowering drug but previous studies reported that it could be helpful for reducing blood pressure as well. We aimed to systematically review all randomized control trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of policosanol supplementation for lowering high blood pressure. METHODS AND RESULTS: The following databases were searched up to March 2019: PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science and the Cochrane library. Eligible RCTs were included if they investigate the effects of policosanol supplementation on systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure. Pooled effect size was measured using random effect model (DerSimmonon method). A total of nineteen studies with twenty-four arms were considered. Pooled effect size showed that SBP (WMD: -3.423 mmHg, 95% CI: -5.315, -1.531; p < 0.001) and DBP (WMD: -1.468 mmHg 95% CI: -2.632, -0.304, p = 0.013). decrease significantly after policosanol supplementation with significant heterogeneity among included studies (I2 = 78.5% and 78.9% for SBP and DBP respectively). All subgroups showed a significant effect of policosanol supplementation except patients with mixed dyslipidemia for SBP and DBP and overweight subjects for DBP. CONCLUSION: Policosanol could lower SBP and DBP significantly; future long term studies are required to confirm these findings in the general population.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Policosanol contains a mixture of concentrated primary aliphatic alcohols extracted from sugar cane wax and is recognized as a cholesterol-lowering drug but previous studies reported that it could be helpful for reducing blood pressure as well. We aimed to systematically review all randomized control trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of policosanol supplementation for lowering high blood pressure. METHODS AND RESULTS: The following databases were searched up to March 2019: PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science and the Cochrane library. Eligible RCTs were included if they investigate the effects of policosanol supplementation on systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure. Pooled effect size was measured using random effect model (DerSimmonon method). A total of nineteen studies with twenty-four arms were considered. Pooled effect size showed that SBP (WMD: -3.423 mmHg, 95% CI: -5.315, -1.531; p < 0.001) and DBP (WMD: -1.468 mmHg 95% CI: -2.632, -0.304, p = 0.013). decrease significantly after policosanol supplementation with significant heterogeneity among included studies (I2 = 78.5% and 78.9% for SBP and DBP respectively). All subgroups showed a significant effect of policosanol supplementation except patients with mixed dyslipidemia for SBP and DBP and overweight subjects for DBP. CONCLUSION:Policosanol could lower SBP and DBP significantly; future long term studies are required to confirm these findings in the general population.