Chewing slices of ginseng root while having haemodialysis can prevent patients’ blood pressure from dropping dangerously, according to Taiwanese investigators. Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is a common complication of haemodialysis which increases mortality risks. Thirty-eight patients with IDH were instructed to chew slices of Korean red ginseng (KRG) at each haemodialysis session during a four-week treatment period. The results showed that KRG significantly reduced the degree of blood pressure drop during haemodialysis, as well as the frequency of symptomatic IDH. Blood samples taken during dialysis showed increased activity of the vasoconstrictors endothelin-1 and angiotensin II. Post-dialytic levels of endothelin-1 and angiotensin II were also found to increase significantly. (Korean red ginseng improves blood pressure stability in patients with intradialytic hypotension. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:595271. Epub 2012 May 8).
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