EFFECT OF RED GINSENG ON BLOOD-PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION AND WHITE COAT HYPERTENSION

The objective of this study is to evaluate the changes of diurnal bloo d pressure pattern after 8 weeks of red ginseng medication (4.5 g/day) by 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. In 26 subjects with essential hypertension, 24 hour mean systolic blood pressure decreased significantly (p = 0.03) while diastolic blood pressure only showed a tendency of decline (p = 0.17). The decrease in pressures were observ ed at daytime (8 A.M. - 6 P.M.) and dawn (5 A.M. - 7 A.M.). In 8 subje cts with white coat hypertension, no significant blood pressure change was observed. We suggest that red ginseng might be useful as a relati vely safe medication adjuvant to current antihypertensive medications.