The flexible fasting technology can improve hypertension: A pilot study in self-controlled designs

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the value of the flexible fasting (FF) technology in helping hypertension improvement in patients with essential hypertension and obesity. Method: We recruited and ultimately selected 86 volunteers with essential hypertension and obesity in this study as a quasi experiment. The volunteers went through three phases, namely, the baseline anti-hypertensive therapy stage (Phase-1), the FF intervention stage (Phase-2), the normal diet recovery stage (Phase-3), each for seven days. During the Phase-2, all subjects fasted and began to substitute the FF food for conventional food. Patients' systolic/diastolic blood pressure (abbreviated as SBP/DBP), body mass index (BMI) and body weight were monitored in details each day. The trial data of all subjects were statistically analyzed using self-controlled designs. Result: After the FF intervention, the subjects' blood pressure, body mass and BMI all showed naturally decreases by comparison to that before the intervention. The remarkable decreases in SBP/DBP, Body Mass and BMI were observed in Phase-3 after FF intervention when compared to Phase-1 [SBP: (115.2±8.492) vs (121.2±13.72) mmHg, q=34.14, P<0.001]; [DBP: (76.03±5.37) vs (78.36±7.094) mmHg, q=10.96, P<0.05)]; [Body Mass: (68.86±13.04) vs (73.11±13.49)kg, q=61.56, P<0.0001]; [BMI: (25.42±3.359) vs (27.03±3.45) kg/m2, q=100, P<0.0001]. All patients did not experience any discomfort or symptoms during the trial. Conclusion: The FF technology is an effective approach to improve hypertension. *Correspondence to: Chenggang Zhang, Professor, PhD., Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Research Center for the Military Cognitive and Mental Health of PLA, Beijing 100850, China, Tel: +86 10 66931590; E-mail: zcgweb@126.com Jiangnan Huang, PhD., The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China, Tel: +86 771 5356566; E-mail: huangjn1998@163.com Changsheng Chen, PhD., Department of Health Statistics, School of Military Preventive Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China, Tel: +86 29 84774853; E-mail: chencs@fmmu.edu.cn