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Introduction
Hypertension is defined as abnormally high systolic and diastolic arterial pressure, which remains consistently elevated throughout the day. If hypertension remains untreated it can lead to a number of health problems, including coronary heart disease, stroke, nephropathy, retinopathy and other ophthalmic diseases (1). The majority (90%) of cases of hypertension are characterized as idiopathic, for which the exact cause remains unclear. However, hypertension is associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, including smoking, a diet high in unsaturated fatty acids and salt, a lack of exercise and obesity. In addition, some cases are related to genetic factors (2–5). In the remaining 10% of cases, hypertension results from another chronic condition, such as kidney failure (6).
Hypertension is typically treated using antihypertensive drugs. There are various classes of these drugs, which act via different mechanisms to produce the same end-result. This mechanism is vasodilatation, which is essential to lower blood pressure (BP). In the current study, Dapril was used. The active ingredient in Dapril is lisinopril, an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, which prevents vasoconstriction by inhibiting angiotensin I.
Resveratrol (RESV; 3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), the active ingredient of Evelor, is a naturally occurring flavonoid phytoalexin, which has antioxidant properties and is useful in the treatment of numerous diseases because of its cardioprotective, antidiabetic and neuroprotective effects. In addition, previous studies have shown that RESV has vasoprotective properties (7,8). The therapeutic benefits of moderate red wine consumption have been linked by numerous studies with RESV, which is found in red grapes, and in plants that can survive harsh environmental conditions (9–11). RESV is categorized as a food supplement by EFSA and so can be taken without a doctor's prescription or recommendation (12).
RESV is thought to be useful in the control of blood pressure when added to a standard antihypertensive therapy by increasing the production of nitric oxide (NO), an endogenous and potent vasodilator. NO is produced in the endothelium lining blood vessels, where it facilitates vasodilation through activating the enzyme guanylate cyclase (GC) (13,14). GC then initiates a signaling cascade, which results in relaxation of the smooth muscle layer and vasodilatation. Vasodilation decreases peripheral resistance, which directly affects arterial pressure and lowers BP.
The aim of this clinical trial was to demonstrate that the addition of RESV to standard antihypertensive therapy...