Antiplatlet Effects of Standardized Tomato Extract in Hypertensive Subjects

The reducing the anti-aggregation properties of platelets significantly decreases the risk of myocardial infarction and the total number of cardiovascular events. In patients who have cardiovascular disease, anti-platelet therapy reduces the risk of serious vascular events. Side effects, such as bleeding, are relatively small so the benefits of anti-platelet therapy in secondary prevention exceed the risk of these side effects. According to guidelines for the treatment of arterial hypertension, PTNT 2015, patients with arterial hypertension (HA) that have a 20% or higher risk for cardiovascular events in the next 10 years, should have ASA included in their treatment to reduce this risk. It has been proved that the use of acetylsalicylic acid in secondary prevention reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events, while the benefits of ASA in primary prevention have recently been debated. The benefits of using ASA in primary prevention should always be confronted with the risk of hemorrhagic complications of this therapy According to 2016 European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in clinical practice, anti-platelet therapy is not recommended in individuals who do not suffer from CVD, due to the increased risk of major bleeding. It is important to look for alternative anti-platelet therapy for people with cardiovascular risk factors. Standardized tomato extract (STE) does not cause side effects and may have multiple beneficial effects on total cardiovascular risk, primarily by inhibiting platelet aggregation. Since its discovery in 1999, several studies and human trials with STE have been carried out. During the last 50 years, tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) has become a highly consumed food. The benefits of inhibiting platelet activity through diet are currently difficult to determine due to the lack of clear and comprehensive scientific data. It is difficult to specify the over activity of the plaques or their proper activity. However, there are data available that indicate the benefits of a diet containing diminishing activity of platelets (Mediterranean diet) and lowering cardiovascular risk.The investigators want to conduct a comparison of the less common STE with clinically recognized ASA. The aim of the study was to compare the anti-platelet effect of STE and ASA in hypertensive patients with high cardiovascular risk.The study highlights that STE may be an alternative, food-based strategy to control the platelets reactivity.