The following is a summary of “Effect of Ketogenic Diet on Blood Pressure: A GRADE-Assessed Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials,” published in the December 2023 issue of Cardiology by Amini et al.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent a significant global health concern, often linked to high blood pressure (BP) or hypertension as a critical risk factor. Ketogenic diets (KDs) have got all the attention for their potential health benefits. This analysis explores the impact of KDs on BP by evaluating existing literature.
Their study reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to investigate the influence of KDs on systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP). Researchers conducted a comprehensive search across PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases from inception until November 2022. A total of twenty-three RCTs involving 1664 participants were identified. Results indicated that KDs did not significantly affect SBP (WMD: -0.87 mmHg, 95% CI: -2.05, 0.31) or DBP (WMD: -0.11 mmHg, 95% CI -1.14, 0.93). Subgroup analyses failed to reveal additional insights. Additionally, non-linear dose-response analysis did not identify any associations between the percentage of calorie intake from fat in the KD format and BP levels.
In conclusion, their findings suggest that KDs do not effectively improve BP. However, further investigations are recommended to explore the optimal proportion of fat intake from KDs that might lead to beneficial clinical impacts.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0939475323004866