According to a new study Pycnogenol, an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, can counteract kidney damage caused by hypertension.

Dr. Gianni Belcaro, a lead researcher of the study, said," Kidney disease is a common problem for people with hypertension and is an equally ''silent'' threat to the body. There are no warning signals and inefficient fluid removal may further increase the blood pressure, causing a vicious circle to set in."

Belcaro further added," The results of this study demonstrated Pycnogenol''s ability not only to reduce blood pressure, but also to relieve the kidney damage caused by chronic hypertension."

55 hypertensive patients who showed early signs of impaired kidney function, as judged by elevated amounts of proteins found in their urine were investigated in the randomized, controlled study conducted by the G D''Annunzio University in Italy.

Both groups, in which the patients were divided, were treated with anti-hypertensive medication Ramipril and one group of 29 patients took Pycnogenol in addition to the Ramipril. Urine was collected during a 24 hour period for quantification of protein (albumin) at baseline and again after six months of treatment.

Significantly exceeding the 30 mg measure, up to which kidney function is considered sufficient, all patients included in the study had an average urinary protein level of 89 mg per 24-hour period.

It was found that after six months of treatment with Ramipril, average protein levels decreased to 64 mg per 24-hour period, remaining well above an acceptable level.

In addition to that the study also found a statistically significant decrease in patients'' blood pressure when taking Pycnogenol in conjunction with Ramipril. When treated exclusively with Ramipril, systolic blood pressure values dropped by more than 30 percent and diastolic blood pressure values dropped approximately eight percent. (With inputs from Agencies)