According to the American Heart Association, about 65 million Americans aged 20 and older have high blood pressure.  And since an estimated 43.5% of these Americans are “under current treatment”, more than 26 million Americans may be taking some form of prescription medication.¹  But because side effects of high blood pressure medications can include lower leg swelling,² ways to help decrease swelling are constantly being sought.

 

Now a new study³ has found that Pycnogenol, an extract found to exhibit a number of healthful properties including helping diabetics,⁴ may now help manage leg swelling in patients taking high blood pressure medications.

 

In the study, researchers had 27 patients taking a high blood pressure medication called nifedipine⁵ or another high blood pressure medication called an ACE inhibitor⁶ receive either 150 mg Pycnogenol per day or placebo for 8 weeks.  At the end of 8 weeks, they found that the ACE inhibitor medication group taking Pycnogenol had a 35% decrease in ankle swelling and the nifedipine group taking Pycnogenol had a 36% decrease in ankle swelling.  No swelling reductions were seen in the control group.

 

For the researchers, “Pycnogenol…helps to prevent and limit long-term [swelling] damage in the microcirculation in [high blood pressure] patients and allows the dose of [high blood pressure] drugs to be reduced in most patients.”

 

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his web site www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

 

Reference:

¹  “High Blood Pressure Statistics” posted on the American Heart Association Website  

²  “High Blood Pressure: Medicines To  Help You” www.fda.gov/womens/medicinecharts/highbloodpressure.html

⁵  “Nifedipine” posted on the National Library of Medicine Website

 

⁶  “Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors” posted on the National Library of Medicine Website