Introduction: Hypertension (HTN) is a major global public health concern, representing the primary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and renal failure. Despite therapeutic advancements, its prevalence and the rate of inadequate management remain high, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. In many low-resource countries, including the DRC, populations heavily rely on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare needs, driven by accessibility, cost, and cultural factors. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of using Cassia seeds on blood pressure levels and to describe the rate of recourse to this therapy among hypertensive patients in the Isangi health zone.
Methods: A quasi-experimental, before-and-after study was conducted over a three-month period, from February 2 to April 30, 2025. It involved 18 hypertensive patients attending the Isangi General Hospital and the INERA Yangambi Reference Health Center, selected by convenience sampling. A repeated-measures model of blood pressure (before-and-after) the administration of boiled Cassia senna seeds in water was used on a single intervention group. The Paired Student’s t-test was employed to compare the mean Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) at day 0 (D0) with the mean SBP and DBP at week 8 (W8).
Conclusion: The frequency of recourse to Cassia senna seeds was 18.2%, and there is a remarkable efficacy of Cassia (Senna) seed administration in reducing blood pressure among hypertensive participants.