Master of Science

thesisHypertension is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in America. A major risk factor of hypertension is metabolic syndrome. A promising method of treatment for reducing hypertension in individuals with metabolic syndrome is supplementation with polyphenolic compounds. Studies have shown that supplements of quercetin, grape seed extract (GSE), and green tea can reduce blood pressure. However, little research exists on the synergistic effects of these phytochemicals. It was hypothesized that a cocktail of GSE, resveratrol, green tea, and quercetin would decrease blood pressure in hypertensive individuals. Eighteen individuals with metabolic syndrome and hypertension were enrolled in a 10-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study to test whether this cocktail of phytochemicals, ProvexCV, would reduce hypertension. Differences between the effects of ProvexCV and placebo were analyzed using individual t-tests with a p-value of < 0.05. Although there was no significant difference between ProvexCV and placebo in regard to systolic blood pressure (SBP), there was a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a trend toward increased nitrate concentration with treatment of ProvexCV when compared to placebo (p = 0.057). This trend was slightly correlated with a decrease in MAP. While we hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in platelet aggregation, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and inflammatory activity, our data did not support this hypothesis. However, there was a significant decrease in MAP and DBP, as well as a near significant increase in nitric oxide. The decrease in MAP may be related to increased nitric oxide availability and/or production. Although there was a significant decrease in DBP, our data do not show a synergistic effect between the components of ProvexCV. However, the main component of ProvexCV, GSE, is known to affect blood pressure and nitric oxide levels. Therefore, although it seems that the other ingredients of ProvexCV are ineffective, it is possible that this is due to the low dosage of these ingredients. Thus, it appears that it is no more beneficial to supplement with ProvexCV than to supplement with GSE