scholarly journals The Effects of Flavonoids on Cardiovascular Health: A Review of Human Intervention Trials and Implications for Cerebrovascular Function

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Rees ◽  
Georgina Dodd ◽  
Jeremy Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Blood Perfusion ◽  
Reduce Blood Pressure ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Cerebrovascular Function ◽  
Intervention Trials ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Research has suggested a number of beneficial effects arising from the consumption of dietary flavonoids, found in foods such as cocoa, apples, tea, citrus fruits and berries on cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction. These effects are thought to have a significant impact upon both vascular and cerebrovascular health, ultimately with the potential to prevent cardiovascular and potentially neurodegenerative disease with a vascular component, for example vascular dementia. This review explores the current evidence for the effects of flavonoid supplementation on human endothelial function and both peripheral and cerebral blood flow (CBF). Evidence presented includes their potential to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive individuals, as well as increasing peripheral blood perfusion and promoting CBF in both healthy and at-risk populations. However, there is great variation in the literature due to the heterogeneous nature of the randomised controlled trials conducted. As such, there is a clear need for further research and understanding within this area in order to maximise potential health benefits.

scholarly journals The Role of Dietary Nitrate and the Oral Microbiome on Blood Pressure and Vascular tone

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-53
Author(s):  
H.S. Alzahrani ◽  
K.G. Jackson ◽  
D.A. Hobbs ◽  
J.A. Lovegrove
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Vascular Function ◽  
Vascular Tone ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Oral Bacteria ◽  
Oral Microbiome ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Dietary Nitrate ◽  
Beneficial Effects

Abstract There is increasing evidence for the health benefits of dietary nitrates including lowering blood pressure and enhancing cardiovascular health. Although commensal oral bacteria play an important role in converting dietary nitrate to nitrite, very little is known about the potential role of these bacteria in blood pressure regulation and maintenance of vascular tone. The main purpose of this review is to present the current evidence on the involvement of the oral microbiome in mediating the beneficial effects of dietary nitrate on vascular function and to identify sources of inter and intra-individual differences in bacterial composition. A systematic approach was used to identify the relevant articles published on PubMed and Web of Science in English from January 1950 until September 2019 examining the effects of dietary nitrate on oral microbiome composition and association with blood pressure and vascular tone. To date, only a limited number of studies have been conducted, with n=9 in humans and n=3 in animals focusing mainly on blood pressure. In general, elimination of oral bacteria with use of a chlorhexidine based antiseptic mouthwash reduced the conversion of nitrate to nitrite and was accompanied in some studies by an increase in blood pressure in normotensive subjects. In conclusion, our findings suggest that oral bacteria may play an important role in mediating the beneficial effects of nitrate-rich foods on blood pressure. Further human intervention studies assessing the potential effects of dietary nitrate on oral bacteria composition and relationship to real time measures of vascular function are needed, particularly in individuals with hypertension and those at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

scholarly journals Dietary fibre and cardiovascular health: a review of current evidence and policy

2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Elizabeth Louise Evans
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Fibre ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Lower Blood ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Small And Large Intestine

Dietary fibre comprises many different, mainly plant-based, compounds that are not fully digested in the human gut. Insoluble fibres include cellulose, hemi-celluloses and lignin and soluble fibres include pectins, β-glucan and hydro-colloids. In the UK, the daily recommended amount has increased to 30 g but only 13 % of men and 4 % of women meet this recommendation. Currently the mean intake for adults is 21 g for men and 17 g for women. There is a wealth of epidemiological evidence based on systematic reviews of trials and cohorts to support the higher fibre recommendation. This includes evidence of reductions in the risk for CVD (both heart disease and stroke) and lower risk of type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, lower LDL-cholesterol, as well as some cancers. Beneficial effects of fibre operate via a diverse range of mechanisms throughout the digestive system including the mouth, stomach and small and large intestine; some of which are still not completely understood. The updated recommendation for fibre is a long way from a typical British diet and requires several daily portions of fruit and vegetables and wholegrain foods. Improving dietary fibre intakes will require a variety of actions and policies from stakeholders; however, there is currently more of a focus on reducing sugar than increasing fibre. In order to increase the number of adults meeting the fibre recommendation, social marketing and labelling of high-fibre foods are warranted as well as reformulation and wider availability of wholegrain versions of popular foods.

scholarly journals Cocoa flavanol intake improves endothelial function and Framingham Risk Score in healthy men and women: a randomised, controlled, double-masked trial: the Flaviola Health Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (8) ◽  
pp. 1246-1255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Sansone ◽  
Ana Rodriguez-Mateos ◽  
Jan Heuel ◽  
David Falk ◽  
Dominik Schuler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Pulse Wave Velocity ◽  
Endothelial Function ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Framingham Risk Score ◽  
Pulse Wave ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Framingham Risk ◽  
Randomised Controlled

AbstractCocoa flavanol (CF) intake improves endothelial function in patients with cardiovascular risk factors and disease. We investigated the effects of CF on surrogate markers of cardiovascular health in low risk, healthy, middle-aged individuals without history, signs or symptoms of CVD. In a 1-month, open-label, one-armed pilot study, bi-daily ingestion of 450 mg of CF led to a time-dependent increase in endothelial function (measured as flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD)) that plateaued after 2 weeks. Subsequently, in a randomised, controlled, double-masked, parallel-group dietary intervention trial (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01799005), 100 healthy, middle-aged (35–60 years) men and women consumed either the CF-containing drink (450 mg) or a nutrient-matched CF-free control bi-daily for 1 month. The primary end point was FMD. Secondary end points included plasma lipids and blood pressure, thus enabling the calculation of Framingham Risk Scores and pulse wave velocity. At 1 month, CF increased FMD over control by 1·2 % (95 % CI 1·0, 1·4 %). CF decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 4·4 mmHg (95 % CI 7·9, 0·9 mmHg) and 3·9 mmHg (95 % CI 6·7, 0·9 mmHg), pulse wave velocity by 0·4 m/s (95 % CI 0·8, 0·04 m/s), total cholesterol by 0·20 mmol/l (95 % CI 0·39, 0·01 mmol/l) and LDL-cholesterol by 0·17 mmol/l (95 % CI 0·32, 0·02 mmol/l), whereas HDL-cholesterol increased by 0·10 mmol/l (95 % CI 0·04, 0·17 mmol/l). By applying the Framingham Risk Score, CF predicted a significant lowering of 10-year risk for CHD, myocardial infarction, CVD, death from CHD and CVD. In healthy individuals, regular CF intake improved accredited cardiovascular surrogates of cardiovascular risk, demonstrating that dietary flavanols have the potential to maintain cardiovascular health even in low-risk subjects.

scholarly journals El entrenamiento de fuerza alivia las hipertrofias renal y cardíaca resultante de la hipertensión renovascular

2018 ◽  
Vol 0 (Avance Online) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Miguel-dos-Santos ◽  
JF Santos ◽  
FN Macedo ◽  
MB Almeida ◽  
VJ Santana-Filho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Cardiac Hypertrophy ◽  
Strength Training ◽  
Renovascular Hypertension ◽  
Reduce Blood Pressure ◽  
The Body ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Left Renal Artery ◽  
Beneficial Effects

Resumo Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos do treinamento de força sobre as hipertrofias renal e cardíaca induzida pela hipertensão renovascular em ratos. Método: Dezoito ratos Wistar foram divididos em três grupos: Sham, hipertenso (2K1C) e hipertenso treinado (2K1C-TR). Os animais foram induzidos a hipertensão renovascular através da ligadura da artéria renal esquerda. O treinamento de força foi iniciado quatro semanas após a indução da hipertensão renovascular, teve duração de 12 semanas e foi realizado a 70% de uma repetição máxima. Ao final foi medida pressão arterial, frequência cardíaca e parâmetros das hipertrofias renal e cardíaca. Resultados: O treinamento de força promoveu a redução da frequência cardíaca (p=0.0025) e da pressão arterial (p=0.01). Além disso, o treinamento diminuiu as massas absolutas do rim (p=0.0001) e coração (p=0.006), e os índices de hipertrofias renal e cardíaca, tanto normalizado pela massa corporal dos animais (p=0.0001 e p=0.001, respectivamente) como normalizado pelo comprimento da tíbia (p=0.004 e p=0.0004, respectivamente). Conclusão: O treinamento de força tem efeitos benéficos na hipertensão renovascular em animais, sendo capaz de reduzir a pressão arterial e a frequência cardíaca, além de atenuar o desenvolvimento das hipertrofias renal e cardíaca em ratos com hipertensão renovascular. Resumen Objetivo: Evaluar los efectos del entrenamiento de fuerza sobre las hipertrofias renal y cardíaca inducidas por la hipertensión renovascular en ratas. Método: Dieciocho ratas se dividieron en tres grupos: simulado, hipertenso (2R1C) e hipertenso entrenado (2R1C-TR). Los animales fueron inducidos a la hipertensión renovascular a través de la ligadura de la arteria renal izquierda. El entrenamiento de fuerza se inició cuatro semanas después de la inducción de la hipertensión renovascular, duró 12 semanas y se realizó al 70% de una repetición máxima. Al final se midió la presión arterial, la frecuencia cardiaca y los parámetros de las hipertrofias renal y cardíaca. Resultados: El entrenamiento de fuerza promovió la reducción de la frecuencia cardíaca (p=0.0025) y la presión arterial (p=0.01). Además el entrenamiento disminuyó las masas absolutas de los riñones (p=0.0001) y el corazón (p=0.006), y los índices de hipertrofias renal y cardíaca, tanto normalizado por la masa corporal de los animales (p=0.0001 e p=0.001, respectivamente) como normalizado por la longitud de la tibia (p=0.004 e p=0.0004, respectivamente). Conclusión: El entrenamiento de fuerza tiene efectos beneficiosos en la hipertensión renovascular en animales, siendo capaz de reducir la presión arterial y la frecuencia cardíaca, además de atenuar el desarrollo de las hipertrofias renal y cardíaca en ratas con hipertensión renovascular. Abstract Objective: To evaluate the effects of strength training on renal and cardiac hypertrophy induced by the renovascular hypertension in rats. Method: Eighteen male rats were divided into three groups: sham, hypertensive (2K1C) and trained hypertensive (2K1C-TR). The animals were induced to renovascular hypertension through ligation of the left renal artery. Strength training was initiated four weeks after the induction of renovascular hypertension, had the duration of 12 weeks and was performed at 70% of one maximum repetition. At the end, it was measured blood pressure, heart rate and parameters of renal and cardiac hypertrophies. Results: Strength training promoted reduction in heart rate (p=0.0025) and blood pressure (p=0.01). In addition, training decreased the absolute masses of the kidney (p=0.0001) and heart (p=0.006), and the indexes of renal and cardiac hypertrophy, both normalized by the body mass of the animals (p=0.0001 e p=0.001, respectively) and by the length of the tibia (p=0.004 e p=0.0004, respectively). Conclusion: Strength training has beneficial effects on renovascular hypertension in animals, being able to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, attenuating the development of renal and cardiac hypertrophies in rats with renovascular hypertension.

Sexual dysfunction in men and women with diabetes: a mirror of their complications?

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Sansone ◽  
Danielle Mollaioli ◽  
Giacomo Ciocca ◽  
Erika Limoncin ◽  
Elena Colonnello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Vascular Complications ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Sexual Dysfunctions ◽  
Adequate Treatment ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Beneficial Effects

Background.: Diabetes mellitus (DM), one of the worldwide leading causes of death, is associated with a plethora of micro- and macro-vascular complications which should be carefully investigated and, in case, treated in order to improve quality of life and reduce the risk of premature mortality. Objective: To investigate and report current evidence in regards to the association between sexual dysfunction and diabetes. Methods: A detailed analysis of current literature has been performed on PubMed and Scholar in order to retrieve the most relevant findings pertaining to study topic. Results: Female and male sexual dysfunction often occur in the context of diabetes; while cardiovascular complications are clearly involved, psychosexological factors, endocrine complications, and endothelial dysfunction all contribute to the pathogenesis of sexual dysfunctions. Psychological symptoms are seldom investigated, yet should not be overlooked by the clinician; in fact, an interplay between sexual dysfunctions and depressive symptoms has been reported, and beneficial effects on both conditions might be obtained by adequate psychological support. Sexual dysfunctions can also act as early biomarkers of cardiovascular disease – a phenomenon frequently reported in men, in which erectile dysfunction predicts the development of coronary artery disease. Additionally, drug therapies can act in both directions, with treatments for diabetes possibly improving male sexual function and beneficial effects for cardiovascular health being reported for pro-erectile drugs. Conclusion: Sexual dysfunctions often occur in men and women with diabetes. Investigating micro- and macro-vascular complications might not be enough to prevent the development or worsening of any sexual dysfunction; endocrine and psychological assessment are therefore needed to provide the best chances for adequate treatment.

scholarly journals Renal Denervation for Treating Resistant Hypertension: Current Evidence and Future Insights from a Global Perspective

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Castro Torres ◽  
Richard E. Katholi
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Resistant Hypertension ◽  
Renal Denervation ◽  
Pressure Control ◽  
Reduce Blood Pressure ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Consensus Statements ◽  
Stage 1

Adequate blood pressure control represents an important goal for all physicians due to the complications of hypertension which reduce patients' quality of life. A new interventional strategy to reduce blood pressure has been developed for patients with resistant hypertension. Catheter-based renal denervation has demonstrated excellent results in recent investigations associated with few side effects. With the growing diffusion of this technique worldwide, some medical societies have published consensus statements to guide physicians how to best apply this procedure. Questions remain to be answered such as the long-term durability of renal denervation, the efficacy in patients with other sympathetically mediated diseases, and whether renal denervation would benefit patients with stage 1 hypertension.

scholarly journals Is vitamin C supplementation beneficial? Lessons learned from randomised controlled trials

2009 ◽  
Vol 103 (9) ◽  
pp. 1251-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Lykkesfeldt ◽  
Henrik E. Poulsen
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin C ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trials ◽  
Normal Diet ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Vitamin C Supplementation ◽  
Intervention Trials ◽  
Antioxidant Supplements ◽  
Randomised Controlled

In contrast to the promised ‘antioxidant miracle’ of the 1980s, several randomised controlled trials have shown no effect of antioxidant supplements on hard endpoints such as morbidity and mortality. The former over-optimistic attitude has clearly called for a more realistic assessment of the benefit:harm ratio of antioxidant supplements. We have examined the literature on vitamin C intervention with the intention of drawing a conclusion on its possible beneficial or deleterious effect on health and the result is discouraging. One of several important issues is that vitamin C uptake is tightly controlled, resulting in a wide-ranging bioavailability depending on the current vitamin C status. Lack of proper selection criteria dominates the currently available literature. Thus, while supplementation with vitamin C is likely to be without effect for the majority of the Western population due to saturation through their normal diet, there could be a large subpopulation with a potential health problem that remains uninvestigated. The present review discusses the relevance of the available literature on vitamin C supplementation and proposes guidelines for future randomised intervention trials.

scholarly journals The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana J. van Ballegooijen ◽  
Stefan Pilz ◽  
Andreas Tomaschitz ◽  
Martin R. Grübler ◽  
Nicolas Verheyen
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin K ◽  
Bone Health ◽  
Calcium Metabolism ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Human Studies ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Intervention Trials ◽  
Fat Soluble Vitamins ◽  
Fermented Dairy

Vitamins D and K are both fat-soluble vitamins and play a central role in calcium metabolism. Vitamin D promotes the production of vitamin K-dependent proteins, which require vitamin K for carboxylation in order to function properly. The purpose of this review is to summarize available evidence of the synergistic interplay between vitamins D and K on bone and cardiovascular health. Animal and human studies suggest that optimal concentrations of both vitamin D and vitamin K are beneficial for bone and cardiovascular health as supported by genetic, molecular, cellular, and human studies. Most clinical trials studied vitamin D and K supplementation with bone health in postmenopausal women. Few intervention trials studied vitamin D and K supplementation with cardiovascular-related outcomes. These limited studies indicate that joint supplementation might be beneficial for cardiovascular health. Current evidence supports the notion that joint supplementation of vitamins D and K might be more effective than the consumption of either alone for bone and cardiovascular health. As more is discovered about the powerful combination of vitamins D and K, it gives a renewed reason to eat a healthy diet including a variety of foods such as vegetables and fermented dairy for bone and cardiovascular health.

scholarly journals Protocol of a multicenter, single-blind, randomised, parallel controlled feeding trial evaluating the effect of a Chinese Healthy Heart (CHH) diet in lowering blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. e036394
Author(s):  
Wuxiang Xie ◽  
Yanfang Wang ◽  
Jianqin Sun ◽  
Guo Zeng ◽  
Huilian Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Feeding Trial ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Single Blind ◽  
Usual Diet ◽  
Chinese Food

IntroductionUnhealthy diet has been identified as the number one attributor of total mortality in China, accounting for more than 20% of total deaths. Although the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and Mediterranean diets have been proven beneficial in managing cardiovascular risk factors in Western countries, whether healthy diets with similar cardiovascular benefits can be developed that are consistent with Chinese food culture remains unknown.Methods/designThe Diet, ExerCIse and CarDiovascular hEalth (DECIDE)-Diet trial is a multicentre, single-blind, randomised controlled feeding trial to evaluate the effect of the Chinese Healthy Heart (CHH) diet, in comparison with the Chinese usual diet, in lowering cardiovascular risk factors among community residents with the increased cardiovascular risk. A total of 360 adults aged between 25 and 75 years old and with systolic blood pressure between 130 and 159 mm Hg will be recruited from four centres located in four areas representing four major Chinese cuisines: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. After 1 week of run-in period with local usual diet, the compliant participants will be randomised to the intervention group with the CHH diet or the control group with the usual local diet, on a 1:1 ratio, for 4 weeks. Body weight of study participants will be maintained during the entire study period. The primary outcome is the change in SBP from the baseline to the end of the study. DECIDE-Diet trial will be the first randomised controlled feeding trial to evaluate the effect of a CHH diet in lowering cardiovascular risk factors. This trial will provide compelling evidence on the CHH diet in effect of improving cardiovascular health among Chinese food consumers all around the world.Ethics and disseminationThis trial adheres to the Declaration of Helsinki and guidelines of Good Clinical Practice. Signed informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The trial has been approved by the Peking University Institutional Review Board (approval number: IRB00001052-18094). The results will be disseminated through academic conferences and publications in international peer-reviewed journals.Trail registration numberClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03882645); Pre-results.

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