Do Garlic Preparations Lower Blood Pressure?

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Prof. Dr. med. Alain Nordmann
Innere Medizin FMH
Basel, Switzerland

Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Nordmann: Based on available randomised controlled trials, garlic preparations seem to lower blood pressure in individuals with hypertension in the short term. However, the quality of the studies and the lack of long-term data preclude the routine use of garlic preparations to lower blood pressure in individuals qualifying for antihypertensive drug therapy.

Medical Research: What was most surprising about the results?

Dr. Nordmann: More than 25 years after the first randomised controlled trials comparing a garlic preparation to placebo, there is still no definite evidence about the usefulness of garlic to lower blood pressure for therapeutic purposes.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Nordmann: It is still to early to recommend garlic preparations to lower blood pressure in individuals accepting conventional drugs. Garlic preparations may be an option for individuals with high blood pressure who strictly oppose conventional drugs, but careful blood pressure monitoring is required.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Nordmann: There is an urgent need for a sufficiently powered, high quality randomised controlled trials to compare the blood pressure effects of garlic preparations to placebo in the long term.

Citation:

A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis on the Effects of Garlic Preparations on Blood Pressure in Individuals With Hypertension

Ried K1, Frank OR, Stocks NP, Fakler P, Sullivan T.
BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2008 Jun 16;8:13. doi: 10.1186/1471-2261-8-13.

Last Updated on September 29, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD