Gastrodia and Uncaria Recipe in Treating Stage-one Hypertension: an Evidence-based Optimization Study

Gastrodia and Uncaria Recipe is a well‐known effective prescription in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat hypertension of liver yang hyperactivity type, which manifests symptom of headache or dizziness. However, it lacks consolidated evidence by multi‐center randomized controlled trials. The hypothesis of this study is that Gastrodia and Uncaria granule may have significant anti‐hypertensive effect on patients with stage‐one hypertension and liver‐yang hyperactivity syndrome than placebo. This study is a randomized, controlled, multi‐center, double‐blind clinical trial. This study aims to recruit 500 hypertension patients who 1) are untreated or taking anti‐hypertensive medicine for at least two weeks and 2) have an office systolic blood pressure of 140‐159 mmHg, an office diastolic blood pressure of <100 mmHg, and a 24‐hour ambulatory mean systolic blood pressure of >=130 mmHg. The patients will be stratified according to center, sex, and the TCM type of liver yang hyperactivity/ liver yang non‐hyperactivity, and are then randomly assigned to the treatment of Gastrodia and Uncaria granules or placebo for 2 months. The blood pressure lowering effect is evaluated by 24‐hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure (primary outcome) / diastolic blood pressure, as well as by home and office blood pressures.