number of participants reported side effects in the garlic-4 group
compared with the garlic-2 and garlic-1 groups, albeit not
statistically significant. Participants found ways to overcome the
reported minor complaints, for example, by taking the capsules in
the morning rather than in the evening.
Most of the participants found taking the trial capsules easy
(gall: 83%; p: 84%) and acceptable (gall: 93%; p: 90%; Table 3). There
was a trend towards greater ease and acceptability with the
allocation of fewer capsules daily (garlic-1 and -2 versus garlic-4),
albeit this difference was not statistically significant. Most of the
participants (gall: 80%; p: 74%) reported that they would be willing
to continue taking the capsules after the trial was finished, if the
treatment was effective in reducing their BP. About two-thirds of
participants (gall: 65%; p: 58%) were willing to pay the estimated
out-of-pocket costs of A$0.3 per capsule. Participants were more
willing to continue and carry the costs if fewer capsules would
have to be taken daily (garlic-1 and -2 versus garlic-4, Po0.05).
Blinding success was measured at the end of the trial by
questionnaire. A third of the participants correctly guessed their
allocation to either a garlic (33%) or placebo groupช่วงเวลา):