SynthesisFrontiers in nutrition2025
Effects of L-citrulline supplementation and watermelon intake on arterial stiffness and endothelial function in middle-aged and older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effect of Intake of Lycopene-Containing Products on Vascular Endothelial Function in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2026Pooled it
- Effect of L-Citrulline Intake on Blood Pressure in Cold Environments: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Food science & nutrition · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: To determine and explore the effects of L-citrulline supplementation and watermelon intake on arterial stiffness (AS) and endothelial function in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Participants: Middle-aged and elderly adults. Designs: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across four major electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Web of Science), covering the period from database inception to May 1, 2025. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment tool 2.0. Data analysis was performed with RevMan 5.4.1 software; pulse wave velocity (PWV) data were analyzed using a random-effects model to pool effect sizes, while flow-mediated dilation (FMD) data were analyzed using a fixed-effects model to pool effect sizes. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the chi-square-based Cochran's Results: This systematic review and meta-analysis included 8 RCTs with a total of 176 participants. The results showed that L-citrulline supplementation significantly improved FMD [1.81 (95% CI: 0.76 to 2.85), Conclusion: Supplementation with L-citrulline has a positive impact on vascular function in middle-aged and elderly individuals, significantly improving FMD. However, although there was no improvement in PWV, subgroup analysis results still show that L-citrulline supplementation significantly reduced BA-PWV. This suggests that this intervention may have potential application value in preventing and improving the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in this population. However, watermelon intake did not significantly improve FMD and PWV in middle-aged and older adults, and there is insufficient relevant literature. Future large-scale studies are needed to confirm the effects of watermelon on vascular function. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/CRD420251052954.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.