Clinical Effects of Korean Ginseng, Korean Red Ginseng, Chinese Ginseng, and American Ginseng on Blood Pressure in Mild Hypertensive Subjects

Background : Ginseng has traditionally been used in oriental countries to recover vital energy from Qi deficiency, and has shown various biomedical effects in the scientific literature. Recent reports suggest that ginseng could regulate blood pressure (BP), but much controversy still remains. Therefore, we intended to assess the anti-hypertensive effect of several ginseng types frequently used in clinics. We also investigated the anti-hypertensive effect on Koreans and Chinese, and by the body type according to Sasang Constitution Medicine (SCM). Methods : The study subjects were recruited from mildly hypertensive patients who exhibited pre-hypertension(120/80 to 139/89 mmHg) and stage I hypertension (140/90 to 159/99 mmHg) in Korea and China. After assigning the subjects into a Korean, a Chinese, a red, and an American ginseng group by randomization, we prescribed ginseng at a dose of 4.5 g per day for 4 weeks. To assess the anti-hypertensive effect, we compared the mean of systolic and diastolic BP between before and after ginseng medication using a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor (24 hr ABPM. We also monitored adverse effect and laboratory findings to secure the subjects' safety. In addition, all of the subjects in Korea consulted a specialist of Sasang Constitution Medicine to identify their constitutional type. Results : There were 64 subjects treated with Korean ginseng, 58 treated with Chinese ginseng, 33 treated with red ginseng, and 64 treated with American ginseng. Korean, Chinese, and American ginseng all reduced subjects' BP; Korean and Chinese ginseng showed more effect. The secondary analysis on the subjects' nationality revealed that all of the ginseng types showed more significant anti-hypertensive effect in Chinese patients than in Koreans. The third analysis on the constitutional type of SCM showed there was no significant difference in the effectiveness and the safety of ginseng among the constitutional types. Conclusions : We suggest ginseng, especially Panax ginseng without any steaming-drying process, could be useful for mild hypertension. Further, ginseng is safe regardless of subjects' constitutional type or type of ginseng within a dosage of 4.5g per day.