A new study has suggested that eating oatmeal and other whole-grain oat cereal can help control blood pressure levels meaningfully, and potentially lower drug-prescription expenses by millions of dollars annually.
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In one of the first studies to quantify the cost savings of prescription drugs when using a dietary approach to help combat high blood pressure, the study indicates that 73% of participants who ate oat cereal daily for 12 weeks were able to reduce or eliminate their need for blood-pressure medication at an average annual cost of savings of US$197.63 per patient.
One in five American adults are on medication for hypertension, and the study, published in the 1 March issue of the journal Preventive Medicine in Managed Care, and partially funded by cereals producer the Quaker Oats Co., found that only 42% of a control group – fed low-fiber cereals but with minimal beta glucan, the soluble fiber found in oats – reduced or eliminated their blood-pressure medication.
“According to our findings, a diet containing soluble fiber-rich whole- grain, oat-based cereals can reduce the need for medicine to control hypertension and improve blood-pressure control among people being treated for high blood pressure, said Joseph M. Keenan, MD, interim chair of the University of Minnesota’s Department of Family Practice & Community Health and an author of the study along with five colleagues.
According to Dr. Keenan’s study – when extrapolated to the HMO study population of enrollees – adults being treated for moderate hypertension — the prescription-drug savings are estimated to be nearly US$18.5m a year. But that savings doesn’t factor indirect costs, including the fewer office visits, other drug-related complications and reduced monitoring costs, among others. When those factors are included, the savings would climb.
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By GlobalDataDr. Keenan says although there are data that are equivocal, based on the results of this study, he emphasized that the blood-pressure reductions observed “can make a meaningful contribution to clinical management of blood pressure – especially in the context of diet as an adjunct to medication.” He noted that in addition to the medication reduction there was better control of their hypertension.
How do oats reduce blood pressure?
Dr. Keenan says the exact mechanism isn’t fully understood, but adds that oats’ total and soluble fiber, mineral content and grain antioxidants may contribute to the favourable blood- pressure results, “possibly via an improvement in insulin sensitivity.” He also noted that consumption of high-fiber cereals, as used by the test group, “is an easy and simple way for a person to increase total and soluble fiber intakes, thus helping to reach the dietary fiber goal of 25 to 30 grams a day.”
Forty-five men and 43 women on medication and with blood pressure of no greater than 160/100 mm Hg participated in the study. In general, the normal blood pressure reading for adults is 120/80 mm Hg, with 120 representing the upper or systolic blood-pressure number (SBP) and 80 representing the lower or diastolic number (DBP). Studies indicate that lowering the systolic and diastolic number cuts down on strokes and heart attacks.
About half the group received oatmeal cereals, containing 5.42 grams a day of beta glucan found in oats. The other participants received minimal beta glucan in their cereals.
The research also reinforced the health benefits of oatmeal to improve cardiovascular health. It showed significant differences between the two groups for blood pressure, total cholesterol, and so-called “bad” cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and plasma glucose. In the oat-treatment group, the study also reported that 36% were able to reduce their blood pressure medication entirely compared with only 9% in the control group. While the control group registered virtually no change in systolic and diastolic blood pressures, the oat-cereal group recorded significant reductions.
