Agent for reducing risk in onset of disease ascribable to non-dipper circadian rhythm of blood pressure

Abstract

An agent for reducing risk in onset of diseases ascribable to non-dipping circadian profile of blood pressure is provided. This agent is capable of effectively lowering SBP from night to early morning in individuals with non-dipping circadian profile of blood pressure, in particular, normal individuals with normal SBP and DBP among them, and is thus capable of reducing risk in onset, particularly likely in the morning, of diseases caused by circadian variation of blood pressure. The agent is intended for administration to such subjects, and contains a hydrolysate or a concentrate thereof, containing Val-Pro-Pro and Ile-Pro-Pro and obtained by hydrolysis of animal milk protein. Reduction of risk may be expected in onset, particularly likely in the morning, of various diseases caused by risk of circadian variation of blood pressure, such as cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction,myocardialischemia, atherosclerosis, cardiac failure, cerebral stroke, coronary artery diseases, and peripheral vascular diseases.

1 . An agent for reducing risk in onset of a disease ascribable to non-dipping circadian profile of blood pressure, said agent comprising a hydrolysate or a concentrate thereof, containing Ile-Pro-Pro and Val-Pro-Pro and obtained by hydrolyzing animal milk protein, wherein said agent is for oral intake by a non-dipper individual with a less than 10% decline in mean systolic blood pressure during a period 0:00-5:00 compared to mean systolic blood pressure during a period 8:00-21:00, brachially measured every 30 minutes with a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor. 
     
     
         2 . The agent according to  claim 1 , wherein said non-dipper individual has mean systolic blood pressure of less than 130 mmHg and mean diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg, as measured brachially every 30 minutes with a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor. 
     
     
         3 . The agent according to  claim 1 , wherein said hydrolysate has been obtained by hydrolysis under such conditions as to generate not less than 3 pg/ml of Val-Pro-Pro and not less than 2 μg/ml of Ile-Pro-Pro therein. 
     
     
         4 . The agent according to  claim 1 , wherein said hydrolysate is a fermentation product obtained by fermentation of a starting material containing animal milk protein, with lactic acid bacteria. 
     
     
         5 . The agent according to  claim 4 , wherein said lactic acid bacteria comprises  Lactobacillus helveticus.    
     
     
         6 . The agent according to  claim 5 , wherein said  Lactobacillus helveticus  is FERM BP-6060. 
     
     
         7 . The agent according to  claim 1 , wherein said hydrolysate is a digestion product obtained by enzymatic digestion of a starting material containing animal milk protein, with enzymes derived from koji mold. 
     
     
         8 . The agent according to  claim 7 , wherein said enzymes derived from koji mold are derived from  Aspergillus oryzae.