Abstract

Background: A significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, affects more than a billion people globally. Numerous non-pharmacological methods work well to lower blood pressure. The objective of this study was to assess the short-term effect of green tea supplementation on blood pressure among people with hypertension.

Methods: This community-based randomized controlled trial was conducted among people with hypertension recruited using a purposive sampling technique from the village of Lakhnaur, Mohali, Punjab, India. Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive either supplementation with green tea beverage (one cup/day) or no intervention. The primary outcome measure was systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Blood pressure was measured at the baseline and 15 days after the intervention using a standard calibrated digital sphygmomanometer.

Results: Post-intervention, the decrease in the mean systolic blood pressure was significantly greater (p <0.01) in the experimental group (129.83±6.497) than in the control group (135.0±6.433).

Conclusion: Green tea supplementation significantly lowered the systolic blood pressure among study participants. Green tea may be included as part of a lifestyle intervention to manage and control systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Keywords: Adults, Blood pressure, Green tea, Lifestyle, Hypertension, Risk factor, Supplementation.