The effects of natural antioxidants from tomato extract in treated but uncontrolled hypertensive patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of adding tomato extract to the treatment regime of moderate hypertensives with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) levels.

Methods: Fifty four subjects with moderate HT treated with one or two antihypertensive drugs were recruited and 50 entered two double blind cross-over treatment periods of 6 weeks each, with standardized tomato extract or identical placebo. Plasma concentrations of lycopene, nitrite and nitrate were measured and correlated with BP changes.