NCT03380000

Effect of Beetroot Juice on Blood Pressure Regulation in Post Menopausal Women

Acute Blood Pressure-lowering Effects of Beetroot Juice in Postmenopausal Women With and Without Hypertension

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 16 (actual)
• Sponsor: Penn State University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 55 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

In this study the investigators will test the hypothesis that acute consumption of inorganic nitrate (supplied in concentrated beetroot juice) reduces artery stiffness and resting blood pressure, and lessens the rise in blood pressure during handgrip exercise in postmenopausal women. Understanding and improving artery function and blood pressure regulation in women is important because they undergo accelerated arterial stiffening after menopause and have much larger increases in blood pressure when they exercise compared with either premenopausal women or men of similar age.

Detailed description

Postmenopausal women have stiff central arteries and exaggerated blood pressure (BP) responses during exercise compared with either premenopausal women or men of similar age. Arterial stiffness and exaggerated BP responses to exercise are prognostic for heart wall thickening, future hypertension, adverse cardiovascular events, and mortality. Previous studies have reported that acute consumption of nitrate-rich beetroot juice can lower resting and exercising BP responses in older adults. However, these studies included both sexes and did not compare the effects of beetroot juice to a nitrate-depleted placebo (a true control). Thus, the potential BP lowering effects of nitrate supplementation per se have not been established in postmenopausal women. The present study examines the acute (single dose) effects of nitrate-rich beetroot juice on resting hemodynamics (peripheral and central BP, arterial wave properties, etc), and physiological responses to handgrip exercise in metabolically healthy post-menopausal women.

Conditions

• Postmenopausal Women

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Beetroot juice	This beverage contains 0.3 g of inorganic nitrate per 70 ml container, and is bottled and supplied by James White Drinks (UK).
DRUG	Beetroot juice placebo	This beverage is identical in look and taste to the Beet-It organic shot, but has the nitrate removed. It is also bottled and supplied by James White Drinks (UK).

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-09-12
• Primary completion: 2019-09-01
• Completion: 2020-01-01
• First posted: 2017-12-20
• Last updated: 2022-07-12
• Results posted: 2021-06-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study