The anti-hypertensive effect of ginseng in patients with mild hypertension

Ginseng has been traditionally used to recover vital energy from Qi deficiency in oriental countries. Recent reports suggested that ginseng could regulate blood pressure (BP), but much controversy still remain. Therefore, we intended to assess the anti-hypertensive effect of some ginseng species on Koreans and Chinese. This is a randomized, double blinded controlled clinical trial. The study subjects were recruited from the mild hypertensive patients who belonged prehypertension (120/80 to 139/89 mmHg) and stage I hypertension (140/90 to 159/99 mmHg) in Korea and China. After assigning the subjects into a Korean, a Chinese, and an American ginseng group by randomization, we prescribed ginseng with the dose of 4.5 g per a day for 4 w. To assess the anti-hypertensive effect, we compared the mean of systolic and diastolic BP between before and after ginseng medication by 24 h Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor (24 h ABPM). We also monitored adverse effect and laboratory findings to secure the subjects’ safety. There were 64 subjects treated with Korean ginseng, 58 treated with Chinese ginseng, and 64 treated with American ginseng. All of the ginseng species reduced subjects’ BP. Especially, Korean and Chinese ginseng showed more excellent effects. The secondary analysis on the subjects’ nationality revealed that all of the ginseng species showed more significant anti-hypertensive effect in Chinese than in Koreans. We suggest ginseng could be useful for mild hypertension regardless of its species. And it would be safe within the dosage of 4.5 g per a day.