Comment on “Effects of pistachios on anthropometric indices, inflammatory markers, endothelial function, and blood pressure in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials”

Abstract Evidence suggests that eating nuts may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study was intended to pool the data of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) available to determine if pistachios confer a beneficial effect on anthropometric indices, inflammatory markers, endothelial dysfunction, and blood pressure. Without language restriction, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched for articles published from the earliest records to June 2019 investigating the effect of pistachio consumption on inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and hypertension. Mean difference (MD) was pooled using a random-effects model. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. The meta-analysis of 13 RCTs with 563 participants indicated that pistachio consumption significantly decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) (MD: -2.12 mmHg, 95% CI: -3.65 to -0.59, p=0.007), whereas changes in flow-mediated dilation (MD: 0.94 %, 95% CI: -0.99 to 2.86, p=0.813), diastolic blood pressure (MD: 0.32 mmHg, 95% CI: -1.37 to 2.02, p=0.707), C-reactive protein (MD: 0.00 mg/l, 95% CI: -0.21 to 0.23, p=0.942), tumor necrosis factor alpha (MD: -0.09 pg/ml, 95% CI: -0.38 to 0.20, p=0.541), body weight (MD: 0.09 kg, 95% CI: -0.38 to 0.69, p=0.697), body mass index (MD: 0.07 kg/m2, 95% CI: -0.16 to 0.31, p=0.553) and waist circumference (MD: 0.77 cm, 95% CI: -0.09 to 1.64, p=0.140) were not statistically significant. This systematic review and meta-analysis suggested the efficacy of pistachio consumption to reduce SBP levels. However, further large-scale studies are needed to confirm these results.

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The Effects of Quercetin Supplementation on Blood Pressures and Endothelial Function Among Patients with Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612825666190513095352 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (12) ◽

pp. 1372-1384 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Omid R. Tamtaji ◽

Alireza Milajerdi ◽

Ehsan Dadgostar ◽

Fariba Kolahdooz ◽

Maryam Chamani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Endothelial Function ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Adhesion Molecule ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Blood Pressures

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were performed to determine the effect of quercetin administration on blood pressures and endothelial function among patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and related disorders. Methods: We searched systematically online databases including Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science to identify the relevant RCTs until December 2018. Q-test and I2 statistics were applied to assess heterogeneity among the included studies. Data were pooled using a random-effects model and weighted mean difference (WMD) was considered as the overall effect size. Results: Out of 284 citations, 8 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. We found a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (WMD: -1.69; 95% CI: -3.22, -0.17) following the intake of quercetin supplements. However, quercetin supplementation did not significantly affect diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: -3.14; 95% CI: -8.24, 1.95), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) (WMD: -24.49; 95% CI: -53.74, 4.77) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) (WMD: -5.78; 95% CI: -12.93, 1.38). Conclusions: In summary, the current meta-analysis demonstrated that quercetin supplementation significantly reduced SBP, yet did not affect DBP, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 among patients with MetS and related disorders.

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