the effect of l-arginine supplementation on blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind randomized clinical trial

Background: the prevalence of hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes (t2d) is approximately twice as much as healthy people. this study was designed to determine the effect of l-arginine supplementation on blood pressure in patients with t2d. methods: in a double-blind randomized clinical trial, 75 t2d were randomly divided into three groups (3 g/d and 6g/d of l-arginine and placebo) for 3 months. height, weight, waist circumference, dietary intake, and blood pressure (bp) were measured before and after intervention. results: in patients who received 3g/d l-arginine, no significant difference was observed between bp before and after the intervention, however, subgroup analysis among patients with high bp showed significant reduction in systolic (p = 0.036) and diastolic bp (p = 0.027) after l-arginine supplementation. after 3 months of intervention, systolic and diastolic bp were significantly different compared to the baseline values and also with placebo value in patients receiving 6g/d of l-arginine (p < 0.05). conclusions: the daily intake of 6g of l-arginine for 3 months in t2d may improve bp. taking 3g/d of this supplement may help to improve bp only in patients with hypertension