EFFECTS OF CHOCOLATE ON CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 可可是抗氧化多酚的丰富来源，经常食用可可和黑巧克力与显著降低死亡率和改善包括血压和血管内皮功能在内的许多心血管疾病风险因素有关。这项研究的主要目标是研究可可多酚对心血管风险的几个标记物的影响，包括心血管和荷尔蒙对心理压力的反应。这个项目建立在最近的研究基础上，研究表明，在食用黑巧克力和可可后，血压显著降低。Grassi等人报道，在正常血压和高血压患者中，富含黄酮醇的黑巧克力可以显著降低24小时动态血压。这表明，可可的降压作用不仅限于受控的休息条件，而且在日常生活中暴露在压力下时，血压也可能会降低。我们建议招募35名健康的成年人，年龄在40-65岁之间，他们是典型的美国人(身体质量指数在超重到肥胖之间，但没有糖尿病或其他系统性疾病)。我们的目标是完成对30名受试者的测试，这些受试者将在交叉设计中分别接触高多酚黑可可或匹配的低多酚巧克力4周。该设计包括一次筛查访问和两次治疗之间2-4周的冲洗。高多酚可可(22克/天)将以无糖可可饮料和37克黑巧克力条的形式提供。在随机化之前和每个疗程结束时要测量的主要结果包括：心血管和荷尔蒙对急性应激源的反应性、情绪、血管内皮功能、脉搏波幅度以及在血液、唾液和尿液中测量的其他几种心血管疾病风险因素。这些包括肾素/血管紧张素/血管紧张素、脂类、炎性细胞因子、胰岛素、葡萄糖、糖化血红蛋白和尿应激激素。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Cocoa is a rich source of antioxidant polyphenols and frequent consumption of cocoa and dark chocolate is associated with significant reductions in mortality and improvements in a number of CVD risk factors including blood pressure and vascular endothelial function. The primary goal of this study is to examine the effects of cocoa-derived polyphenols on several markers of cardiovascular risk, including cardiovascular and hormonal responses to psychological stress. This project builds on recent studies showing significant reductions in blood pressure after consumption of dark chocolate and cocoa. Grassi et al reported that 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure was significantly reduced by flavonol-rich dark chocolate in both normotensive and hypertensive individuals. This suggests that the hypotensive effects of cocoa are not restricted to controlled resting conditions, and that lower blood pressure may also be evident during exposure to stress in daily life. We propose to enroll 35 healthy adults, ages 40-65, who are typical of the US population (having body mass index in the overweight to obese range but without diabetes or other systemic disease). Our goal is to complete testing on 30 subjects who will be exposed to high polyphenol dark cocoa or a matched low polyphenol chocolate for 4 weeks each in a crossover design. The design includes a screening visit and a 2 -4 week washout between treatments. High polyphenol cocoa (22 g/d) will be delivered in a sugar-free cocoa beverage and a 37 g bar of dark chocolate. Primary outcomes to be measured before randomization and at the end of each treatment period include: cardiovascular and hormonal reactivity to acute stressors, mood, vascular endothelial function, pulse wave amplitude, and several other CVD risk factors measured in blood, saliva and urine. These include renin/ACE/angiotensin, lipids, inflammatory cytokines, insulin, glucose, HbA1c, and urinary stress hormones.