Supplementation with L-arginine does not influence arterial blood pressure in healthy people: a randomized, double blind, trial

J. Ast, A.R. Cieslewicz, K. Korzeniowska, P. Bogdanski*, E. Kazmierczak, J. Olszewski, A. Skoluda, A. Jablecka

Department of Clinical Pharmacology, and *Department of Internal Medicine, Metabolic Disorders and Hypertension, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznan (Poland)

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• Cardiology

Background and Objectives: It cannot be excluded that supplementation with L-arginine, by improving function of endothelium and hypotensive effect, can be advantegeous in prevention of cardiovascular diseases in healthy people. However, reports about hypotensive effect of L-arginine in healthy people are unclear. Moreover, no research including ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) has been conducted so far. Therefore, the aim of our study was to show if 4-week supplementation of healthy people with L-arginine influences blood pressure measured with ABPM.

Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on 19 healthy people randomized to 6 g/24-hour, 12 g/24-hours of L-arginine or placebo. ABPM was carried out 4 times: before randomization, after 2 and 4 weeks of supplementation and 2 weeks after finishing supplementation.

Results: It was found that 4 weeks of supplementation of healthy people with L-arginine (6 or 12 g/24-hour) led to nonsignificant decrease of systolic and diastolic blood pressure; the decrease was greater during night.

Conclusion: These findings showed that supplementation with L-arginine is not necessarily advantageous in healthy people.

Corresponding Author: Artur R. Cieslewicz, Ph.D.; e-mail: artcies@gmail.com