"Every beet you take": lowering systolic blood pressure and improving vascular function/exercise capacity via the dietary nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway in patients with COPD

Extract 15 years ago in the European Respiratory Journal, Mannino et al. [1] presented their report identifying an increased risk of developing hypertension in patients with COPD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage 3/4) of 1.6-fold, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) of 2.4-fold. Thus, hypertension prevalence in COPD is high: 35–55% [2]. Hypertension/high systolic blood pressure (SBP) remains the single biggest risk factor contributor to global mortality (and disability in >50-year-olds) accounting for >50% of CVD deaths, the single largest cause of mortality [3]. Therefore, the finding of a significant reduction in SBP (primary outcome) with 90 days’ dietary nitrate (as beetroot juice) in 81 patients with COPD by Alasmari et al. [4], as reported in this issue of the European Respiratory Journal, has important implications. With beneficial effects on vascular function and exercise capacity too, we will consider some of the related background.
Source: European Respiratory Journal - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Editorials Source Type: research