scholarly journals Effects of Cocoa-Rich Chocolate on Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Arterial Stiffness in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene A. Garcia-Yu ◽  
Luis Garcia-Ortiz ◽  
Manuel A. Gomez-Marcos ◽  
Emiliano Rodriguez-Sanchez ◽  
Cristina Agudo-Conde ◽  
...  

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the intake of 10 g of cocoa-rich chocolate on blood pressure, other cardiovascular risk factors, and vascular structure and function in postmenopausal women. A total of 140 postmenopausal women participated in this randomized and controlled parallel clinical trial. For six months, the intervention group (IG; n = 73) consumed daily 10 g of chocolate (99% cocoa) added to their usual food intake, whereas the control group (CG; n = 67) did not receive any intervention. Blood pressure, pulse pressure (PP), cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), ankle-brachial index (ABI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), augmentation index, and laboratory variables were measured at baseline and six months. ANCOVA analyses adjusted for baseline values revealed no significant differences for systolic blood pressure (−1.45 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval (CI): −4.79, 1.88; p = 0.391) or baPWV (0.18 m/s; 95% CI: −0.14, 0.50; p = 0.263) between groups. A decrease in PP was observed in the IG compared to the CG (−2.05 mm Hg; 95% CI: −4.08, −0.02; p = 0.048). The rest of the vascular structure and function parameters and other measured variables remained unchanged. The daily intake of 10 g of cocoa-rich chocolate seems to provide little improvement to cardiovascular health, but neither does it cause any adverse effects on the parameters evaluated in postmenopausal women in the long term.

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahil Taheri ◽  
Shahram Molavynejad ◽  
Parvin Abedi ◽  
Elham Rajaei ◽  
Mohammad Hosein Haghighizadeh

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary education on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Method: In this randomized clinical trial, 112 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were randomly assigned into two groups, intervention and control. Dietary education was provided for the intervention group in 4 sessions; anthropometric measurements, serum levels of RF, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and fasting blood sugar were measured before and three months after intervention. Data was analyzed using SPSS software and appropriate statistical tests. Results: The mean of total cholesterol (p <0.001), triglycerides (p = 0.004), LDL (p <0.001), systolic blood pressure (p = 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.003), FBS and BMI (p <0.001) were decreased significantly in the intervention group after education compared the control group. Conclusion: Traditional care for rheumatoid arthritis patients is not enough. Patients need more education in order to improve their situation.


2006 ◽  
Vol 154 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenora M Camarate S M Leão ◽  
Mônica Peres C Duarte ◽  
Dalva Margareth B Silva ◽  
Paulo Roberto V Bahia ◽  
Cláudia Medina Coeli ◽  
...  

Background: There has been a growing interest in treating postmenopausal women with androgens. However, hyperandrogenemia in females has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Objective: We aimed to assess the effects of androgen replacement on cardiovascular risk factors. Design: Thirty-seven postmenopausal women aged 42–62 years that had undergone hysterectomy were prospectively enrolled in a double-blind protocol to receive, for 12 months, percutaneous estradiol (E2) (1 mg/day) combined with either methyltestosterone (MT) (1.25 mg/day) or placebo. Methods: Along with treatment, we evaluated serum E2, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index, lipids, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein; glucose tolerance; insulin resistance; blood pressure; body-mass index; and visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat mass as assessed by computed tomography. Results: A significant reduction in SHBG (P < 0.001) and increase in free testosterone index (P < 0.05; Repeated measures analysis of variance) were seen in the MT group. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, fibrinogen, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lowered to a similar extent by both regimens, but high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased only in the androgen group. MT-treated women showed a modest rise in body weight and gained visceral fat mass relative to the other group (P < 0.05), but there were no significant detrimental effects on fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance. Conclusion: This study suggests that the combination of low-dose oral MT and percutaneous E2, for 1 year, does not result in expressive increase of cardiovascular risk factors. This regimen can be recommended for symptomatic postmenopausal women, although it seems prudent to perform baseline and follow-up lipid profile and assessment of body composition, especially in those at high risk of cardiovascular disease.


Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Ponce ◽  
Matthew A Allison ◽  
Jordan A Carlson ◽  
Krista M Perreira ◽  
Matthew S Loop ◽  
...  

Introduction: Heart failure represents a significant public health problem because of increasing prevalence and lack of effective medical treatment. Hispanic/Latinos have a high burden of cardio-metabolic comorbidities and adverse socioeconomic conditions that place them at risk for heart failure. However, some literature indicates that among Hispanics/Latinos, residing in areas with high Hispanic/Latino ethnic density is associated with better health outcomes. There is a paucity of data on the effect of Hispanic/Latino ethnic density and risk markers for heart failure. Therefore, we evaluated the association between Hispanic/Latino ethnic concentration and several echocardiographic measures of left ventricular structure and function. Methods: Data on baseline characteristics from the Hispanic Communities Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function (ECHO-SOL), and neighborhood Hispanic/Latino ethnic density (San Diego SOL-CASAS) were analyzed. Hispanic/Latino ethnic density was calculated for each person based on an 800-m buffer around their home. Hispanic/Latino ethnic density was then calculated using data from the 2010 Census as the percent of Hispanic/Latinos divided by the total population at the Census block level and calculating an average value for all Census blocks that overlapped with the participant's address. Multivariable linear regression analysis adjusting for personal demographics and cardiovascular risk factors was conducted. Results: A total of 350 participants with data from all three databases were included in the analysis. The mean age was 55±7 years, 69% were female, and 26%, 38%, and 43% had diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, respectively. Thirty-six percent had less than high school education, and 58% were low income. In models adjusting for age, sex, education level, income, acculturation, and cardiovascular risk factors, a 1-percent higher Hispanic/Latino ethnic density was associated with lower left ventricular mass (0.47, p-value = 0.02). Other echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function were not significantly related to Hispanic/Latino ethnic density. Conclusion: Higher Hispanic/Latino ethnic density was associated with lower LVM independent of personal SES and common cardiovascular risk factors. These findings suggest that Hispanic/Latinos residing in areas with higher Hispanic/Latino ethnic density might have a lower risk of future HF. However, further research to understand the specific factors that mediate the observed associations are necessary.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. e0185114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen E. Petersen ◽  
Mihir M. Sanghvi ◽  
Nay Aung ◽  
Jackie A. Cooper ◽  
José Miguel Paiva ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keren Cohen-Hagai ◽  
Feda Fanadka ◽  
Tania Grumberg ◽  
Guy Topaz ◽  
Naomi Nacasch ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims Brain atrophy (BA) is a common finding in neuroimaging of hemodialysis (HD) patients, representing a parenchymal cerebral damage. Likely contributing factors to BA are age, chronic hypertension, diabetes mellitus and other cardiovascular risk factors of atherosclerosis that are also common among HD patients. BA may also occur due to focal ischemia and hypoperfusion during HD. However, data on optimal blood pressure (BP) in these patients are limited. The goal of this study was to determine whether the prevalence and severity of BA would be higher among HD patients with lower BP. Method A blinded neuroradiologist graded BA of all HD patients who underwent brain non-contrast computerized tomography (CT) from 2015 to 2017 in our institution. Age-and sex-matched patients with normal kidney function who underwent brain CT during the same period and technique served as the control group Results A total of 280 patients were included in this retrospective study, with average BP of 140/70 mmHg among HD patients and 142/75 mmHg in the control group. BA was more common in dialysis patients and its severity increased with age and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. We observed a significant negative correlation between diastolic BP (DBP) at dialysis initiation and BA. Average DBP decreased with increasing severity of BA. These findings were observed in both HD and non-CKD patients. Conclusion Brain atrophy was associated with lower DBP, which may induce cerebral hypoperfusion and ischemia. This finding should discourage over-treatment of hypertension in hemodialysis patients.


JAMA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 320 (7) ◽  
pp. 665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilby Williamson ◽  
Adam J. Lewandowski ◽  
Nils D. Forkert ◽  
Ludovica Griffanti ◽  
Thomas W. Okell ◽  
...  

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