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Pine bark extract found ineffective for lowering CVD risk factors
Drieling R. Arch Intern Med. 2010;170:1541-1547.
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Pine bark extract, a dietary supplement source of antioxidant oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes, was not associated with improvement in CVD risk factors, according to recent data from a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind, parallel-group trial.
The study included 130 overweight and obese patients with systolic BP that was more than the optimal considered range (125 mm Hg-160 mm Hg). They were randomly assigned to take either 200 mg of a water-based extract of pine bark (Toyo-FVG, Toyo Bio-Pharma; n=64) or placebo (n=66) once per day. The California-based researchers measured BP (primary endpoint) and other CVD risk factors, including cholesterol and BMI, at baseline and at 6 and 12 weeks.
According to study results, baseline characteristics did not differ between study groups. At 12 weeks, the sum of systolic and diastolic BPs decreased in the pine bark extract group by 1 mm Hg (95% CI, -4.2 mm Hg to 2.1 mm Hg) and by 1.9 mm Hg (-5.5 mm Hg to 1.7 mm Hg) in the placebo group (P=.87). Other outcomes were also not significantly different, the researchers wrote, including BMI, lipid panel measures, liver transaminase test results, lipoprotein cholesterol particle size, as well as levels of insulin, lipoprotein(a), fasting glucose and high-sensitivity CRP.
Pine bark extract at 200 mg, they concluded, "was safe but was not associated with improvement in CVD risk factors. Although variations among participants, dosages and chemical preparations could contribute to different findings compared with past studies, our results are consistent with a general failure of antioxidants to demonstrate CV benefits."�
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