Borassus aethiopum-Fortified Bread Reduces Metabolic Risk Factors among Cardiovascular Disease Outpatients at 37 Military Hospital, Accra: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia and hypertension are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). OBJECTIVE: The study sought to evaluate the effects of Borassus aethiopum-fortified bread on metabolic risk factors among CVD outpatients. METHOD: From August 2016 to April 2017, a pilot study using a single-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted by administering Borassus-fortified bread (150 g) and indistinguishable placebo (150 g white flour bread) daily to 122 CVD outpatients at 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana, for 90 days. Body composition, blood pressure, and biochemical parameters were evaluated before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Following the intervention, the mean waist circumference (before: 98.3 ± 14.6 cm, after: 95.9 ± 15.8 cm, P = 0.030), BMI (before: 31.4 ± 6.9 kg/m(2), after: 28.0 ± 5.8 kg/m(2), P = 0.027), and visceral fat (before: 10.4 ± 3.2, after: 9.9 ± 3.0, P = 0.013), as well as systolic (from 161.2 ± 25.5 to 137.6 ± 22.9and diastolic (from 99.2 ± 13.6 to 85.1 ± 10.8) blood pressure, were significantly reduced among the experimental group. Likewise, serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL, and HDL were significantly reduced within the experimental group before (TC: 5.9 ± 1.1, LDL: 3.4 ± 1.1, and HDL: 2.2 ± 0.5) and after the intervention (TC: 4.9 ± 1.1, LDL: 2.8 ± 0.9, and HDL: 1.5 ± 0.4) (TC: P = 0.001, LDL: P = 0.016, and HDL: P < 0.001, in mmol/L). These reductions were not observed in the controls. CONCLUSION: The Borassus-fortified bread significantly reduced blood pressure and improved lipid profile and other metabolic risk factors among the CVD outpatients studied. Therefore, its potential in the management of CVDs and other metabolic-related diseases should be looked at.