Taurine Supplementation Lowers Blood Pressure and Improves Vascular Function in Prehypertension: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adults with prehypertension in Chongqing, China. Eligible participants were 18 to 75 years old with systolic BP 120 to 139 mm Hg or diastolic BP 80 to 89 mm Hg; 120 untreated participants were randomized, and 97 completed the study.

Oral taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) was given at 1.6 g/day once daily between 08:00 and 09:00 am for 12 weeks. The active regimen was compared with placebo in a randomized, double-blind design.

Taurine supplementation lowered blood pressure and improved vascular function over 12 weeks. In the taurine group, clinic SBP fell from 130.0±5.64 to 122.8±10.57 and clinic DBP from 77.7±6.87 to 73.1±8.66; 24-hour SBP fell from 119.4±9.37 to 115.6±8.35 and 24-hour DBP from 76.0±7.97 to 72.5±8.22. Daytime ambulatory SBP and DBP also decreased, endothelial-dependent vasodilation increased by 3.2%, and endothelial-independent vasodilation increased by 4.4%. Plasma H2S increased from 43.8±20.82 to 87.0±24.51 µmol/L and plasma taurine from 108.3±55.27 to 142.3±62.14 µmol/L, with BP changes negatively correlated with these increases. Taurine was well tolerated with no serious adverse events, supporting it as a potential preventive treatment for prehypertension.

The trial was single-center, relatively small, and short in duration, limiting durability and generalizability. Blood pressure outcome counts were smaller than the full randomized sample for ambulatory monitoring, and the population was restricted to prehypertensive adults without major cardiovascular or metabolic disease. Participants were instructed not to alter their usual diet, but detailed dietary and lifestyle control was limited.