Olive Leaf Extract as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle in the Reduction of Blood Pressure
Condition: Pre Hypertension
MeSH terms: Prehypertension
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Hypertension affects about 30% of the United Kingdom population and is causally implicated in
      the aetiology of renal disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Ageing, obesity, a poor
      diet and low levels of physical activity are all risk factors. Studies have shown that
      adherence to a Mediterranean diet is protective against hypertension and its associated
      morbidities; olive oil is believed to be a key beneficially bioactive component of that diet.
      As a source of lipids olive oil is an unremarkable blend of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated
      and saturated fatty acids; it is however rich in phenolic compounds, principally oleuropein
      and hydroxytyrosol, which may be of benefit to health. A recent randomised intervention trial
      in predominantly hypertensive volunteers showed that adherence to a Mediterranean diet
      supplemented with extra virgin olive oil, reduced blood pressure and other measures of
      cardiovascular disease risk. Olive phenolics can be extracted cheaply from the waste products
      of olive oil manufacture, such as the plant leaf and these are used as dietary supplements.
      In intervention studies in hypertensive or borderline hypertensive patients, olive leaf
      extract consumption has been shown to reduce blood pressure.

      Another intervention with established efficacy for improving blood pressure is to increase
      physical activity. The 'Start Active, Stay Active', Chief Medical Officers report on physical
      activity recommends that adults achieve 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity
      per week, while data in that report suggest that fewer than 40% of adult men and 30% of adult
      women achieve these targets. Adherence to the physical activity guidelines may in fact be
      much worse in sub-sections of the population at higher risk of hypertension.

      From a public health perspective, holistic guidelines for the prevention of hypertension, or
      its early diagnosis and management, based around a healthy diet and lifestyle are preferable
      to pharmaceutical intervention. Lifestyle interventions are economically favourable and they
      come with fewer side effects and perhaps wider health benefits than antihypertensive drugs.

      The aim of the study is to evidence the synergistic benefits of consuming plant (and
      specifically olive) phenolics alongside achieving the recommended guidelines for physical
      activity in individuals with elevated blood pressure.
    


Intervention name(s): Olive leaf extract; Placebo
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): 132 mg of oleuropein per day suspended in olive leaf extract 700 mg; 700 mg Maltodextrin per day
Other intervention name(s): Maltodextrin
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention