Effect of Probiotic Supplementation on Blood Pressure of Females with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Double Blind Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Despite progress in the control and treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnant females, these patients remain at risk of disease complications. Objectives: The present study aimed at investigating the effect of probiotic supplements on Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) in pregnant females diagnosed with GDM. Methods: This randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomly assigned 64 pregnant females with GDM, recruited through convenience sampling, to either a group receiving a probiotic capsule (n = 32) or a group receiving a placebo (n = 32) for 8 weeks in Tabriz, Iran, during the spring and summer months of 2014. Their blood pressure was measured at baseline and at 2-week intervals, up to 8 weeks. Results: A total of 56 subjects completed the study. There was no significant difference in SBP in the probiotic group at any time compared with that at onset, yet, SBP increased significantly in the placebo group. The declining trend of DBP was evident in the probiotic group at 2 weeks and continued to the end of the study; however, DBP had increased slightly by week 6 in the placebo group. There were significant differences between the probiotic and placebo groups at 6 and 8 weeks, respectively, for SBP (104.828 (2.051) mmHg vs. 112.963 (2.126) mmHg; P = 0.008) and (106.552 (1.845) mmHg vs. 115.185 (1.912) mmHg; P = 0.002) and for DBP (62.414 (1.353) mmHg vs. 70.741 (1.402) mmHg; P < 0.001) and (60.690 (1.540) mmHg vs. 71.296 (1.596) mmHg; P < 0.0010). Conclusions: The results demonstrated that consumption of probiotic supplements for 8 weeks prevented an increase in SBP and decreased DBP in pregnant females diagnosed with GDM.