Background:
Masked hypertension is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Nonetheless, no randomized controlled trials exist in the treatment of masked hypertension. The aim of this randomized, placebo-controlled trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of blood pressure (BP)–lowering treatment with a Chinese herbal formula, gastrodia-uncaria granules, in patients with masked hypertension.
Methods:
Patients with an office BP of <140/90 mm Hg and daytime ambulatory BP of 135 to 150 mm Hg systolic or 85 to 95 mm Hg diastolic were randomly assigned 1:1 to the treatment of gastrodia-uncaria granules or placebo 5 to 10 g twice daily for 4 weeks. The primary efficacy variable was the change in daytime ambulatory BP.
Results:
At baseline, office and daytime BP of the 251 participants (mean age, 50.4 years; 53.4% men; mean body mass index 24.5 kg/m
2
; and 2.8%, 1.6%, and 30.7% with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and smoking, respectively) averaged 129/82 and 135/89 mm Hg, respectively. In the intention-to-treat analysis, daytime systolic/diastolic BP was reduced by 5.44/3.39 and 2.91/1.60 mm Hg in the gastrodia-uncaria granules and placebo groups, respectively. The between-group difference in BP reductions was significant for the daytime (2.52/1.79 mm Hg;
P
≤0.025) and 24-hour BP (2.33/1.49 mm Hg;
P
≤0.012), but not for the clinic and nighttime BPs (
P
≥0.162). The per-protocol analysis in 229 patients produced similar results. Only 1 adverse event (sleepiness during the day) was reported, and no serious adverse event occurred.
Conclusions:
BP-lowering treatment with Chinese traditional medicine gastrodia-uncaria granules is efficacious for patients with masked hypertension.
Registration:
URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02156024.
TREATMENT OF MASKED HYPERTENSION WITH A CHINESE HERBAL FORMULA: A RANDOMIZED, PLACEBO‐CONTROLLED, SINGLE‐BLIND TRIAL
