The effect of psyllium supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background/Aims Global incidence of hypertension is estimated to be, in excess of, one billion people, and given the efficacy of soluble dietary fibers, in particular, Psyllium, to positively impact blood pressure in patients with hypertension, it is of clinical importance that consensus on its supp...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cain C. T. Clark, Mina Salek, Elahe Aghabagheri, Sadegh Jafarnejad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Korean Association of Internal Medicine 2020-11-01
Series:The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.kjim.org/upload/pdf/kjim-2019-049.pdf
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Summary:Background/Aims Global incidence of hypertension is estimated to be, in excess of, one billion people, and given the efficacy of soluble dietary fibers, in particular, Psyllium, to positively impact blood pressure in patients with hypertension, it is of clinical importance that consensus on its supplementation be established. Therefore, the aim of the study was systematically review and meta-analyze the effect of psyllium supplementation on blood pressure of hypertensive patients in randomized controlled trials. Methods We searched six universal databases including; Pubmed/Medline, Ovid, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Embase, and Scopus until November 2018. Both combined and stratified analyzes were conducted. A fixed-effects or random- effects model was used to assess the mean effect sizes. Results An eventual 11 trials with 592 participants were considered as eligible for inclusion in the present meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed a significant reduction of 2.04 mmHg in systolic blood pressure (weighted mean difference, –2.04; 95% confidence interval, –2.82 to –1.63; p < 0.001). Whilst meta-regression highlighted that the hypotensive effect of psyllium was stronger in subjects with higher baseline blood pressure. Conclusions Given the overarching benefits and lack of reported side effects, particularly for hypertensive patients, health care providers and clinicians should consider the use of psyllium supplementation for the treatment or abatement of hypertension, or hypertensive symptoms.
ISSN:1226-3303
2005-6648