Medicinal Plants that can Cause Changes in Blood Pressure and Interactions with Antihypertensive Agents

Abstract

Objectives: Systemic arterial hypertension is a multifactorial clinical condition, characterized by sustained high levels of blood pressure. The secondary metabolites of medicinal plants may work in part through modification of haemodynamics including blood pressure alteration. This study aimed to conducted a literature review of medicinal plants that can cause blood pressure changes and interactions with antihypertensive drugs. Method: The literature search was made using terms as: hypertension, hypotensive, anti-hypertensive and blood pressure. Results: We found 138 medicinal plants that cause changes in blood pressure; 84 were reports of popular use and 78 were scientific studies. 22 plants caused interference in the regulation of blood pressure due to interaction with antihypertensive drugs. Conclusion: Most of the plants that cause changes in blood pressure have a documented hypotensive effect and such effects can be observed both in plants used popularly and also scientifically, notably in both cases, the potentiating of the medicine’s effects.