A influência da ingestão de flavonóides do cacau sobre o comportamento da pressão arterial e da função endotelial em hipertensos primários estágio I

Abstract

It is estimated that approximately 30 million Brazilians are suffering from hypertension and despite the large amount of hypotensive available, it is believed that only 2.7 million are being treated properly. Recently several clinical studies, epidemiological and experimental studies have shown an association between the consumption of foods rich in cocoa and lowering blood pressure as well as relating this effect to a possible action of the cocoa flavonoids on endothelial function. To evaluate in hypertensive patients, stage I, the effect of administration of the cocoa flavonoids present in chocolate, 70% of: blood pressure, endothelial function, the speed of the pulse wave, and the relationship between variations in blood pressure and endothelial function. The type of the study was experimental, clinical and open. Twenty patients, without distinction of race or sex, with essential hypertension stage I, without antihypertensive treatment prior normal weight, overweight or obese grade I, aged between 18 and 60. Local of study, Department of Clinical and Experimental Pathophysiology - were enrolled. State University of Rio de Janeiro. We studied blood pressure (oscillometric method and by ambulatory blood pressure), index of reactive hyperemia (by peripheral arterial tonometry by Endo-PAT 2000), augmentation index (by peripheral arterial tonometry by Endo-PAT 2000), speed pulse wave (through COMPLIOR SP), total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio and body fat. The chocolate-cocoa 70% significantly reduced the blood pressure measured by oscillometric method. Through this method we observed that systolic blood pressure decreased significantly after 4 weeks of treatment, (V0: 146.50 ± 1.28, V1: 140.40 ± 3.02, V2: 138.50 ± 2.44; V3: 140.60 ± 2.50; V4: 136.90 ± 2.60; vs V4. V0, p <0.001) while diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly from 2 weeks of treatment and remained so until the end the study (V0: 93.2 ± 0.74, V1: 87.50 ± 1.8, V2: 86.05 ± 1.67, V3: 88.35 ± 1.48; V4: 87.45 ± 1 , 78; vs V2. V0, p <0.05 and vs V4. V0, p <0.03). Blood pressure measured by the method of ambulatory blood pressure during 24 hours by ambulatory blood pressure did not change significantly after the intervention. The assessment of endothelial function through the index of reactive hyperemia showed that RHI has changed significantly after the chocolate-cocoa 70% (V0: 1.94 ± 0.11, V4: 2.22 ± 0.08, p = 0.01). The other variables assessed did not change significantly after 4 weeks of consumption of chocolate-cocoa 70%. The results of this study show that the chocolate-cocoa 70% has a beneficial effect on endothelial function and controversial in relation to the behavior of blood pressure.