Gender difference in blood pressure responses to dietary sodium intervention in the GenSalt study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine factors related to blood pressure (BP) responses to dietary sodium and potassium interventions. METHODS: We conducted a dietary feeding study that included a 7-day low-salt intervention (51.3 mmol sodium/day), a 7-day high-salt intervention (307.8 mmol sodium/day), and a 7-day high-salt and potassium-supplementation (60 mmol potassium/day) intervention among 1906 study participants in rural China. The BP was measured nine times during the 3-day baseline observation and during the last 3 days of each intervention phase using a random-zero sphygmomanometer. RESULTS: The BP responses to low-sodium intervention were significantly greater in women than in men: -8.1 [95% confidence interval (-8.6 to -7.6)] versus -7.0 (-7.5 to -6.6) mmHg for systolic and -4.5 (-4.9 to -4.1) versus -3.4 (-3.8 to -3.0) mmHg for diastolic. Likewise, BP responses to high-sodium interventions were significantly greater in women than in men: 6.4 (5.9-6.8) versus 5.2 (4.8-5.7) mmHg for systolic and 3.1 (2.7-3.5) versus 1.7 (1.4-2.1) mmHg for diastolic (all P < 0.001). In addition, systolic BP responses to sodium interventions increased with age, and both systolic and diastolic BP responses to sodium interventions increased with baseline BP levels. BP responses to potassium supplementation also increased with baseline BP levels. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that female gender, older age, and hypertension increase the sensitivity to dietary sodium intervention. Furthermore, low dietary sodium intake may be more effective in reducing BP among these subgroups.

[Clinical study on effect of tuihuan decoction rectoclysis in hyperbilirubinemia of newborn].

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effect and feasibility of rectoclysis with Tuihuang decoction (RTD) in treating hyperbilirubinemia of newborns. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-five newborns with hyperbilirubinemia were randomly divided into the treated group and the control group. They were treated with western medicine plus double faced blue treatment while the treated group were given RTD additionally. Blood bilirubin was detected by micro-bilirubin detector daily during the treatment course. The time of jaundice regression, the speed of blood bilirubin reducing, liver function, and condition of rebounding were observed. RESULTS: The 7-day curative rate of jaundice in the treated group was superior to that in the control group, showing significant difference (P < 0.05). The average speed of blood bilirubin reducing daily in the treated group was quicker than that in the control group (P < 0.01). The improvement of liver function, such as AST, ALT and gamma-GT in the treated group was superior to that in the control group (P < 0.01). Rebound rate of blood bilirubin in the control group was significantly higher than that in the treated group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: RTD is an ideal therapy for treatment of hyperbilirubinemia of newborn, it shows obvious clinical efficacy and can effectively prevent the rebound of blood bilirubin.

Effect of soybean protein on blood pressure: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies suggest that vegetable protein intake is inversely related to blood pressure. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of soybean protein supplementation on blood pressure in persons with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. SETTING: Three communities in the People's Republic of China. PATIENTS: 302 participants 35 to 64 years of age with an initial untreated systolic blood pressure of 130 to 159 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 99 mm Hg, or both. INTERVENTION: Study participants were randomly assigned to receive 40 g of isolated soybean protein supplements per day or complex carbohydrate control for 12 weeks; 91.4% completed the intervention. MEASUREMENTS: Blood pressure measurements were obtained by using random-zero sphygmomanometers at baseline and at 6 and 12 weeks. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 135.0 mm Hg (SD 10.9) and 84.7 mm Hg (SD 6.9), respectively. Compared with the control group, the net changes in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were -4.31 mm Hg (95% CI, -2.11 to -6.51 mm Hg; P < 0.001) and -2.76 mm Hg (CI, -1.35 to -4.16 mm Hg; P < 0.001), respectively, after the 12-week intervention. The net changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure reductions were -7.88 mm Hg (CI, -4.66 to -11.1 mm Hg) and -5.27 mm Hg (CI, -3.05 to -7.49 mm Hg), respectively, in persons with hypertension and -2.34 mm Hg (CI, 0.48 to -5.17 mm Hg) and -1.28 mm Hg (CI, 0.52 to -3.07 mm Hg), respectively, in those without hypertension. LIMITATIONS: This trial did not examine whether the blood pressure reduction was due to protein or isoflavones in soybean. CONCLUSIONS: Soybean protein supplementation resulted in a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These findings suggest that increased intake of soybean protein may play an important role in preventing and treating hypertension.