Effects of continuous supplementation of Acanthopanax senticosus Harms on the cardiac autonomic function of community-dwelling elderly individuals during resting and standing tests: a randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine Vol. 11; p. 1336676
• Main Authors: Sato, Takeru, Aoki, Takumi, Ito, Yuki, Oishi, Kan, Fujishima, Masaki, Okumura, Eri, Ishii, Kojiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 2024
• Subjects: Acanthopanax senticosus Harms; cardiac autonomic function; dizziness; elderly individuals; standing test; dizziness; elderly individuals; Acanthopanax senticosus Harms; cardiac autonomic function; standing test
• ISSN: 2297-055X; 2297-055X
• DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1336676

Cardiac autonomic function (CAF) decreases with aging, and Harms (ASH) consumption reportedly induces anti-stress effects. This study aimed to assess the effect of continuous supplementation of ASH on CAF during resting and standing tests in the elderly population. This double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted in the morning in a laboratory setting and was carried out between June 2017 and July 2017 at Kambaikan, Doshisha University (Karasuma-higashi-iru, Imadegawa-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8580, Japan). In total, 28 community-dwelling elderly individuals (mean ± standard deviation = 72.5 ± 4.5 years) were included. Each subject was instructed to consume ASH or placebo supplements twice daily for 4 weeks. An autonomic reflex orthostatic tolerance recorder was used to measure CAF in pre- and post-intervention phases. Parameters were measured in a seated position and included coefficient of variation of R-R intervals (CVRR), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), LF/HF ratio, blood pressure, and heart rate (HR). Changes in each parameter were evaluated before and after standing. All parameters were defined as the difference between the mean value obtained in a standing position for 2 min and that obtained in a 2-min seated position. A two-way analysis of variance revealed a significant group-time interaction effect on CVRR, HF, and ΔLF/HF ratio. Following the intervention, CVRR, HF, LF/HF ratio, systolic blood pressure (SBP), HR, ΔLF/HF ratio, ΔSBP, and ΔHR improved significantly in the ASH group only. Four-week supplementation of ASH improved CAF in community-dwelling elderly individuals during resting and standing tests. https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000031218, UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000027251).