Cardioprotective Effects of Dietary Flavonoids in the Framingham Offspring Cohort

描述（由申请人提供）：关于食品类黄酮对心血管疾病风险的潜在影响存在很大争议。在某种程度上，这是因为直到最近，还没有一个完整的食品类黄酮数据库，以及各种类黄酮可能产生的不同效果。黄烷醇类（包括儿茶素和黄烷酮）可降低心血管疾病风险的一些流行病学证据。黄酮类、黄酮醇类和异黄酮类的流行病学证据虽然存在变数，但尚未对花青素与心血管风险之间的关系进行调查。本研究的目的是通过研究不同类黄酮摄入量与各种心血管疾病中间标志物之间的关系，进一步了解膳食黄酮类化合物在心血管疾病中的作用。具体来说，我们将研究五类膳食类黄酮（黄烷醇、花青素、黄酮、黄酮醇和异黄酮）与以下心血管疾病危险因素之间的关系：炎症标志物，包括c反应蛋白、白细胞介素6、单核细胞化学引诱蛋白-1和肿瘤坏死因子α；纤维蛋白溶解因子包括纤维蛋白原和p -选择素；脂质包括高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、总胆固醇和甘油三酯；通过血流介导扩张（肱动脉反应性）评估内皮功能；还有血压。我们的假设是，摄入更多的黄烷醇类黄酮类（包括儿茶素、原花青素和黄烷酮）与心血管疾病风险中间标记物的健康状况有关。与黄烷醇相反，摄入其他类黄酮（花青素、黄酮、黄酮醇和异黄酮）与降低心血管疾病风险的相关性并不像中间生物标志物所显示的那样强。我们计划使用先前从弗雷明汉心脏研究后代队列第七次检查中收集和测量的数据来检验这一假设。与弗雷明汉研究人员合作，我们将把一个增强和更新的类黄酮数据库与通过食物频率问卷收集的饮食信息联系起来。每种食物类黄酮的数量将被输入数据库，用于问卷调查的每个项目。扩展的数据库将允许比以前更完整的评估类黄酮摄入量。值得注意的是，研究人员在其他食物频率问卷中添加类黄酮方面有丰富的经验，因此我们预计完成这项工作不会有问题。该项目为研究类黄酮与心血管疾病风险之间的潜在关系提供了一种高效有效的手段。有证据表明，某些类黄酮含量高的食物与心血管疾病的代谢风险因素有关，但几乎所有关于类黄酮与心血管疾病风险有关的人类证据都是基于对含类黄酮的食物的研究，而不是类黄酮的摄入量。因此，这一证据可能会被富含类黄酮的食物的其他成分所混淆。本研究旨在通过研究膳食中特定类黄酮的摄入与心血管疾病代谢危险因素之间的关系，澄清关于类黄酮对心血管疾病风险影响的争议和困惑。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is a great deal of controversy about the potential effects of food flavonoids on cardiovascular disease risk. This is, in part, a consequence of the absence, until recently, of a complete food flavonoid database and the potential for differential effects of the various classes of flavonoids. Some epidemiological evidence of cardiovascular disease risk reduction is available for the flavanol class (including catechins and flavanones). Epidemiological evidence is available, though variable, for the flavone, flavonol and isoflavone classes whereas associations between the anthocyanins and cardiovascular risk have not been investigated. The goal of the present study is to further our understanding of the role of dietary flavonoids in cardiovascular disease by examining the relation between intake of the different flavonoid classes and various intermediate markers of cardiovascular disease. Specifically, we will examine the associations between five classes of dietary flavonoids (flavanols, anthocyanins, flavones, flavonols, and isoflavones) and the following CVD risk factors: inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and tumor necrosis factor alpha; fibrinolytic factors including fibrinogen and P-selectin; lipids including high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides; endothelial function by assessed by flow mediated dilation (brachial artery reactivity); and blood pressure. Our hypothesis is that a higher intake of the flavanol class of flavonoids (which includes the catechins, proanthocyanidins, and flavanones) is associated with a healthier profile of intermediate markers of cardiovascular disease risk. In contrast to the flavanols, intakes of other classes of flavonoids (anthocyanins, flavones, flavonols, and isoflavonoids) are not expected to be as strongly associated with lower CVD risk as indicated by intermediate biomarkers. We plan to examine this hypothesis using previously collected and measured data from the seventh examination of Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. Working with the Framingham investigators, we will link an enhanced and updated flavonoid database to dietary information collected with a food frequency questionnaire. Amounts of each food flavonoid will be entered in a database for each item on the questionnaire. The extended database will allow more complete assessment of flavonoid intakes than has previously been possible. It should be noted that the study investigators have extensive experience with addition of flavonoids to other food frequency questionnaires, and therefore we anticipate no problems in accomplishing this. The proposed project presents an efficient and effective means to examine the potential relationship between flavonoids and cardiovascular disease risk. There is evidence that foods high in certain flavonoids are associated with better metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but almost all of the human evidence relating flavonoids to cardiovascular disease risk is based on studies of flavonoid-containing foods, not flavonoid intake. Consequently, this evidence may be confounded by other components of flavonoid-rich foods. This proposed research should help to clarify the controversy and confusion about the influence of flavonoids on cardiovascular disease risk by examining the relation between dietary intake of specific flavonoids and metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease.