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European Journal of Nutrition

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01-09-2020 | Original Contribution

Soy isoflavones interact with calcium and contribute to blood pressure homeostasis in women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial

Authors: Lee-Jane W. Lu, Nai-Wei Chen, Fatima Nayeem, Manubai Nagamani, Karl E. Anderson

Published in: European Journal of Nutrition | Issue 6/2020

Abstract

Background

Estrogens and calcium regulate vascular health but caused adverse cardiovascular events in randomized trials.

Objectives

Whether phytoestrogenic soy isoflavones modulate the physiological effects of calcium on blood pressure was explored.

Design

A double-blind, randomized study assigned 99 premenopausal women to 136.6 mg isoflavones (as aglycone equivalents) and 98 to placebo for 5 days per week for up to 2 years. Blood pressure, serum calcium and urinary excretion of daidzein (DE) and genistein (GE) were measured repeatedly before and during treatment.

Results

Isoflavones did not affect blood pressure per intake dose assignment (i.e. intention-to-treat, n = 197), but significantly affected blood pressure per measured urinary excretion of isoflavones (i.e. per protocol analysis, n = 166). Isoflavones inversely moderated calcium effects on systolic blood pressure (SBP) (interaction term β-estimates: − 3.1 for DE, − 12.86 for GE, all P < 0.05), and decreased diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (β-estimates: − 0.84 for DE, − 2.82 for GE, all P < 0.05) after controlling for calcium. The net intervention effects between the maximum and no isoflavone excretion were − 17.7 and + 13.8 mmHg changes of SBP, respectively, at serum calcium of 10.61 and 8.0 mg/dL, and about 2.6 mmHg decrease of DBP.

Conclusions

Moderation by isoflavones of the physiological effect of calcium tends to normalize SBP, and this effect is most significant when calcium concentrations are at the upper and lower limits of the physiological norm. Isoflavones decrease DBP independent of calcium levels. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of this novel micronutrient effect on blood pressure homeostasis and cardiovascular health.

Trial registration

www.clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00204490.

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Title: Soy isoflavones interact with calcium and contribute to blood pressure homeostasis in women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial
Authors: Lee-Jane W. Lu
Nai-Wei Chen
Fatima Nayeem
Manubai Nagamani
Karl E. Anderson
Publication date: 01-09-2020
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Journal of Nutrition / Issue 6/2020
Print ISSN: 1436-6207
Electronic ISSN: 1436-6215
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-019-02085-3

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Soy isoflavones interact with calcium and contribute to blood pressure homeostasis in women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial

Abstract

Background

Objectives

Design

Results

Conclusions

Trial registration

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Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

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Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Objectives

Design

Results

Conclusions

Trial registration

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