Amino acid offers hope for hypertension sufferers

07 Jul 2009 - Posted by the Editorial Team

People suffering from hypertension could benefit from an amino acid commonly found in vegetable protein.

Findings published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association found that the consumption of glutamic acid could be linked to lower systolic blood pressure - the force when the heart beats.

Lead author of the study Professor Jeremiah Stamler said that the discovery on a population scale represents a "potentially important reduction".

"It is estimated that reducing a population's average systolic blood pressure by 2 mm Hg could cut stroke death rates by six per cent and reduce mortality from coronary heart disease by four per cent," he explained.

Professor Stamler added that hypertension is a significant risk factor of cardiovascular disease and that high blood pressure presents a "massive public health problem".

The expert explained that the only long-term way of preventing hypertension was by an individual improving their lifestyle, meaning the maintenance of a healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet and taking plenty of exercise.

Estimates have suggested that around one billion people, or 25 per cent of the world's population, have hypertension.

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