Randomised, Controlled, Cross-Over Trial of Soy Protein with Isoflavones on Blood Pressure and Arterial Function in Hypertensive Subjects

Abstract

In hypertensive subjects, compared to gluten placebo, soy dietary supplementation containing isoflavones had no effect on arterial function, on average 24 hr ambulatory blood pressure parameters or central blood pressure in men and women with hypertension. Area under the curve of 24 hr profiles demonstrated that daytime BP was higher after soy compared to gluten.

Genistein Induces Estrogen-Like Effects in Ovariectomized Rats but Fails to Increase Cardiac GLUT4 and Oxidative Stress

“…33 Interestingly, there is also evidence in the literature to suggest that soy can exert hypertensive actions; a clinical study using hypertensive male and female subjects concluded that a 3-month dietary soy supplementation did not lower blood pressure, but rather marginally increased blood pressure. 10 We observed no change in systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure, comparing genistein-treated and control groups at day 14. The 2-week genistein treatment significantly decreased heart rate and pulse pressure compared to controls at day 14.…”

“…3 However, unlike the use of estrogenbased hormone therapy, which may increase the risk of coronary artery disease 4,5 and uterine cancer, 6 genistein therapy has the noted benefit of improving cardiovascular health with contradictory and unequivocal effects on the female reproductive system 7 or cancer induction. 8 One of the more notable cardiovascular-related effects of genistein is a lowering of blood pressure observed in both hypertensive and normotensive postmenopausal women 9,10 or rat models. 11 This beneficial effect is purported to be mediated via improvements in endothelial function and reductions in both antioxidant stress in aorta and arterial stiffness.…”

Exercise and Dietary Influences on Arterial Stiffness in Cardiometabolic Disease

“…Since exercise and dietary interventions may reduce arterial stiffness by a variety of mechanisms, additive effects 53 ; folic acid 77 Sodium restriction 58,59 ; moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training (Table S1) Aerobic exercise training [45][46][47] No evidence of benefit Vitamins (C, E) and antioxidants (α-lipoic acid) 16 Isoflavones (polyphenols) 69 Folic acid 74 ; vitamin E 80 Cocoa polyphenols 71 Folic acid 75,76 All references are to controlled trials or systematic reviews/meta-analyses. BP indicates blood pressure; CAD, coronary artery disease; DASH, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; DBP, diastolic BP; and SBP, systolic BP.…”

“…16 However, except for 1 RCT of soy isoflavones in hypertensive patients (which indicated no benefit), 69 studies in cardiometabolic disease groups (mainly atherosclerotic) have largely focused on polyphenol-rich berries, red wine, or cocoa, albeit with varying success. In patients with CAD, arterial stiffness was lowered by cranberry juice supplementation (reduction in aortic PWV over 4 weeks), 70 but not by a chocolate bar/cocoa beverage intervention (no change in systemic arterial compliance over 6 weeks).…”

Soybean Products Consumption in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases

“…Normotensive women (mean systolic pressure of 116 mm Hg) had a 5.2% decrease in systolic pressure and a 2.9% decrease in diastolic pressure on the soy diet compared with the control diet. On the other hand, Teede and colleagues found no effect of soy/isoflavones on blood pressure in a study that enrolled 41 hypertensive subjects (Teede et al 2006). Regarding endothelial function, it has been reported that the consumption of soy isolated protein improved the flow-induced dilatation in postmenopausal women (Cuevas et al 2003;Hall et al 2008), independently of changes in the lipid profile.…”