Probiotics with high-fiber diet linked to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients

This retrospective cohort study evaluated 322 hypertensive patients admitted between January 2020 and June 2023. Patients received either a 3-month intervention of probiotics (Bifidobacterium Triple Viable Capsules) combined with a personalized high-fiber diet plan (PHFD) or conventional treatment alone. The primary outcome was blood pressure regulation, with secondary outcomes including cardiovascular health markers, inflammatory cytokines, and gut microbiota parameters.

The PHFD group showed statistically significant reductions in both systolic (P = 0.006) and diastolic (P = 0.004) blood pressure compared to the conventional treatment group. Therapeutic efficacy was also better in the PHFD group (P = 0.006). Multiple secondary biomarkers improved significantly, including erythrocyte aggregation index (P = 0.005), plasma fibrinogen (P = 0.010), endothelin-1 (P = 0.020), superoxide dismutase (P = 0.045), and interleukin-6 (P = 0.014).

Safety and tolerability data were not reported in the available evidence. Key limitations include the retrospective observational design, which cannot establish causality, and the lack of reported absolute blood pressure values or effect sizes. The specific components of conventional treatment were not detailed, and the study duration was limited to 3 months.

While these findings suggest potential benefits of combining probiotics with high-fiber diets for hypertension management, they should be interpreted cautiously due to the observational nature of the evidence. The results generate hypotheses for future randomized controlled trials but do not yet support specific clinical recommendations beyond standard dietary advice for hypertensive patients.