Summary
Berberine has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Hypertension. No registered clinical trial in this database tests Berberine specifically in Hypertension. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study. The literature layer holds 6 publications for this pair: 3 Cochrane reviews and 3 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2012 to 2024. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Essential Hypertension ranks 376 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Not well-characterized as population baseline; routinely framed as irreversible in clinical culture despite contrary trial evidence.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 26.0 (trials 0.0, literature 21.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 0 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 6 (3 Cochrane reviews, 3 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Supplement (Nutraceutical) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Herbal antihypertensive interventions: a narrative review · Halma M, et al. · 2024 |
| Data sources | OSMF Chronic Disease Review |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
No registered trial links Berberine to Hypertension in the current OSMF trial extract.
Published literature
- Cochrane review Cardiovascular Effects of Herbal Products and Their Interaction with Antihypertensive Drugs-Comprehensive ReviewNyulas KI, Simon-Szabó Z, Pál S et al. · International journal of molecular sciences · 2024 · PMID 38928095
- Cochrane review Berberine for the treatment of hypertension: A systematic reviewSuadoni MT, Atherton I · Complementary therapies in clinical practice · 2021 · PMID 33461163
- Clinical trial publication NUtraceutical TReatment for hYpercholesterolemia in HIV-infected patients: The NU-TRY(HIV) randomized cross-over trialPirro M, Francisci D, Bianconi V et al. · Atherosclerosis · 2019 · PMID 30471555
- Clinical trial publication Nutraceuticals for Serum Lipid and Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive and Hypercholesterolemic Subjects at Low Cardiovascular RiskMazza A, Lenti S, Schiavon L et al. · Advances in therapy · 2015 · PMID 26202829
- Cochrane review Meta-analysis of the effect and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipemia and hypertensionLan J, Zhao Y, Dong F et al. · Journal of ethnopharmacology · 2015 · PMID 25498346
- Clinical trial publication Nutraceuticals for blood pressure control in patients with high-normal or grade 1 hypertensionTrimarco V, Cimmino CS, Santoro M et al. · High blood pressure & cardiovascular prevention : the official journal of the Italian Society of Hypertension · 2012 · PMID 22994579
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Herbal antihypertensive interventions: a narrative review · Halma M, et al. · 2024.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Berberine approved for Hypertension?
Berberine has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Hypertension. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Berberine in clinical trials for Hypertension?
No registered clinical trial in this database tests Berberine specifically in Hypertension. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study.
What does the evidence show for Berberine in Hypertension?
Synthesis-level literature links Berberine to Hypertension, but no registered trial in this database tests the pair, so the evidence is observational, pooled from other indications, or pre-dates registry practice. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.