A review of the uses of five dietary supplements in the management of hypertension and a composite survey

The goal of this study was two-fold. The first one was to conduct a literature review of five dietary supplements (L-arginine, coenzyme Q10, garlic, hawthorn, and pycnogenol) on their blood pressure lowering effects. The second goal was to survey first-year pharmacy students at Howard University College of Pharmacy on their knowledge of the various aspects of these DSs. The literature review showed that all the 5 DSs included in this study have beneficial effects in reducing high blood pressure, although their effects are mostly mild to moderate. However, their effects are more pronounced in patients with hypertension and have no or limited effects in normotensive patients. Despite these promising benefits, the survey from the students showed a lower-than-expected knowledge score. The average knowledge level was 57.5 % on all the questions related to the five selected dietary supplements. The knowledge levels ranged from 52.9% for L-arginine to 66.2% for garlic. When the knowledge scores were paired and further analyzed, no statistical differences were noted among the levels for each dietary supplement. Overall, the survey showed that there is a lack of adequate knowledge among the participants on the supplements included in this study. Thus, an additional effort must be made to incorporate key supplement topics in various therapeutics courses throughout the pharmacy education.