The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    Garlic’s effect on blood pressure reviewed

    Reviewers from Hartford Hospital in Connecticut report that garlic lowers blood pressure in patients with an elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP), but not in people with normal SBP.

    First, the details.

    • Data from 10 studies in English or German and reporting SBP or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were combined for a meta-analysis.
    • 3 studies included patients with elevated SBP.

    And, the results.

    • Garlic reduced SBP by 16 mm Hg and DBP by 9 mmHg vs placebo.
    • Garlic did not reduce blood pressure in people with normal SBP.

    The bottom line?
    The authors concluded, “Garlic is associated with blood pressure reductions in patients with an elevated SBP although not in those without elevated SBP.”

    Another meta-analysis published earlier this year came to similar conclusions. “Garlic preparations are superior to placebo in reducing blood pressure in individuals with hypertension.”

    And “the effect of garlic preparations on systolic and diastolic blood pressures are comparable to the hypotensive effects of commonly-prescribed blood pressure drugs.”

    11/20/08 22:02 JR

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