Effect of vitamin-mineral complexes on quality of life of patients with arterial hypertension

Abstract

Objective: A considerable proportion of the population due to both economic reasons and traditions appear to be experiencing chronic deficit in micronutrients, which may be deteriorated on the background of drug therapy being performed. The purpose of our study was to optimize pharmacotherapy of patients with first-ever prescribed diuretic-containing combined therapy for arterial hypertension (AH) by means of adding a vitamin-mineral complex. Method: To determine B-group vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine) in blood plasma by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and, on achieving the target values of arterial pressure (AP), to analyse the patients’ quality of life by means of such neuropsychological tests as the General Health Questionnaire – 36 (GHQ-36) and WAM (wellbeing, activity, mood) questionnaire. Results: The group of patients receiving antihypertensive therapy alone demonstrated a decrease in blood plasma thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine from 34.5±4.2 to 25.4±3.2 ng/ml (p<0.05), from 11.3±1.5 to 7.8±1.1 ng/ml (p<0.05) and from 13.4±1.5 to 9.1±1.3 ng ng/ml, respectively. In patients receiving the vitamin-mineral complex additionally to drug therapy of AH, no significant alterations in the content of micronutrients in blood plasma were revealed. We noted more pronounced dynamics in the scores by the GHQ-36 and a more pronounced increase in the patients’ activity by the WAM test, amounting to 28,9 Δ % and 15.51 Δ %, respectively (p<0.05). Conclusion: Supplementing antihypertensive pharmacotherapy with a vitamin-mineral complex makes it possible not only to maintain the level of micronutrients at the level of the physiological requirements but to improve the patients’ quality of life as assessed by neuropsychological scales.