Antihypertensive Effects of Lactotripeptides on Unattended Office and Abulatory Blood Pressure. A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study

Milk fermentation by Lactobacillus helveticus produces some tripeptides (VPP and IVP) with sustained ACE-inhibitor activity that have shown to lower blood pressure (BP) in experimental animals and in humans. Grana Padano DOP, an Italian cheese, has shown a potent in vitro ACE-inhibitory effect due to its high concentration of such tripeptides. Present data refer to a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, study in which 30 mild-moderate hypertensive patients received a dietary integration with Grana Padano DOP. At base-line all patients had BP not on target (>140 and/or 90 mmHg) after their usual treatment and received a dietary integration with Grana Padano (1 ounce per day) and placebo, in cross over fashion.BP was evaluated at baseline and at the end of the active and placebo treatment (2 months each) by Office and unattended Office BP (using the BpTRU, average of 5 consecutive BP readings) and by ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). Results: dietary integration with Grana Padano resulted in a significant decreased in systolic and diastolic office and unattended office BP (-6 mmHg for systolic and - 5 mmHg for diastolic BP). ABPM confirmed a sustained antihypertensive effect of such integration (see table). In conclusion, the diaily integration with 1 ounce of Grana Padano DOP cheese caused a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic BP pressure in hypertensive patients. No changes in BMI, total and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, serum sodium and potassium levels were observed. The statistically significant drop in BP may be considered also clinically significant since the majority (67%) of the patients reached normal BP levels at the end of active treatment.