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Time of the day of exercise impact on cardiovascular disease risk factors in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Sevilla-Lorente, R, Carneiro-Barrera, A, Molina-Garcia, P, Ruiz, JR, Amaro-Gahete, FJ
Journal of science and medicine in sport. 2023;26(3):169-179
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In humans, shifted sleep patterns seem to interfere with several metabolic pathways. Shift work, short sleep duration, exposure to artificial light, inadequate eating time window, and lack of physical activity, are some characteristics of the modern lifestyle that contributes to the occurrence and worsening of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to analyse the time of the day of exercise-induced effects on CVD risk factors in adults. This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of twenty-two studies. Results showed that exercise produces an acute reduction of systolic blood pressure independently of the time of the day at which it is performed. Similarly, exercise produces an acute increase in blood glucose independently of the time of the day. Authors concluded that further research is needed to establish whether there is a diurnal variation of exercise on cardiovascular health and how it is related to health status, sex, or the type of exercise.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To compare the effect of a single bout of morning vs. evening exercise on cardiovascular risk factors in adults. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS A systematic search of studies was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science from inception to June 2022. Selected studies accomplished the following criteria: crossover design, acute effect of exercise, blood pressure, blood glucose, and/or blood lipids as the study's endpoint, a washout period of at least 24 h, and adults. Meta-analysis was performed by analyzing: 1) separated effect of morning and evening exercise (pre vs. post); and 2) comparison between morning and evening exercise. RESULTS A total of 11 studies were included for systolic and diastolic blood pressure and 10 studies for blood glucose. Meta-analysis revealed no significant difference between morning vs. evening exercise for systolic blood pressure (g ∆ = 0.02), diastolic blood pressure (g ∆ = 0.01), or blood glucose (g ∆ = 0.15). Analysis of moderator variables (age, BMI, sex, health status, intensity and duration of exercise, and hour within the morning or evening) showed no significant morning vs. evening effect. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we found no influence of the time of the day on the acute effect of exercise on blood pressure neither on blood glucose.
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Vegetarian and vegan diets and the risk of cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease and stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
Dybvik, JS, Svendsen, M, Aune, D
European journal of nutrition. 2023;62(1):51-69
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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is mainly due to ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke. Plant-based diets are effective for improving CVD risk factors. This is further supported by the favourable cardiometabolic profile seen among vegetarians who predominantly exclude meat, fish and poultry from their diet, when compared to people consuming meat. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between vegetarian or vegan diets and risk of incidence and mortality from CVD, IHD and stroke, both overall and subtypes. This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of thirteen prospective cohort studies. Results show a 15% and a 21% reduction in the relative risk of CVD and IHD, respectively, for vegetarians compared to nonvegetarians, but there wasn’t a clear association for total stroke or subtypes of stroke. Furthermore, an 18% reduction in the relative risk of IHD was observed among vegans when compared to nonvegetarians but the association lacked precision and no clear association was observed for CVD or stroke; however, there were few studies in the analyses of vegans. Authors conclude that their findings are consistent with existing guidelines recommending plant-based dietary patterns for CVD prevention. However, further studies are required to clarify the association between vegetarian diets and stroke risk, as well as the association between vegan diets and IHD.
Abstract
PURPOSE Vegetarian diets have been associated with reduced risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, results regarding cardiovascular disease (CVD) overall and stroke are less clear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies on CVD, IHD and stroke risk among vegetarians or vegans versus nonvegetarians to clarify these associations. METHODS PubMed and Ovid Embase databases were searched through August 12, 2021. Prospective cohort studies reporting adjusted relative risk (RR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incidence or mortality from CVD, IHD and stroke, comparing vegetarians and vegans to nonvegetarians were included. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using ROBINS-I and the strength of evidence was assessed using World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) criteria. Summary RRs (95% CIs) were estimated using a random effects model. RESULTS Thirteen cohort studies (844,175 participants, 115,392 CVD, 30,377 IHD, and 14,419 stroke cases) were included. The summary RR for vegetarians vs. nonvegetarians was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.79-0.92, I2 = 68%, n = 8) for CVD, 0.79 (95% CI: 0.71-0.88, I2 = 67%, n = 8) for IHD, 0.90 (95% CI: 0.77-1.05, I2 = 61%, n = 12) for total stroke, and for vegans vs. nonvegetarians was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.68-1.00, I2 = 0%, n = 6) for IHD. RoB was moderate (n = 8) to serious (n = 5). The associations between vegetarian diets and CVD and IHD were considered probably causal using WCRF criteria. CONCLUSIONS Vegetarian diets are associated with reduced risk of CVD and IHD, but not stroke, but further studies are needed on stroke. These findings should be considered in dietary guidelines. REVIEW REGISTRATION No review protocol registered.
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Olive pomace oil can improve blood lipid profile: a randomized, blind, crossover, controlled clinical trial in healthy and at-risk volunteers.
González-Rámila, S, Sarriá, B, Seguido, MA, García-Cordero, J, Mateos, R, Bravo, L
European journal of nutrition. 2023;62(2):589-603
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Morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are increasing. It is known that a healthy diet and physical exercise can modulate the risk of CVD. In this regard, the Mediterranean Diet (MD) is considered a model of healthy eating and olive oil is an essential component of this diet, as its primary fat source. The aims of this study were to assess the possible beneficial role of consuming olive pomace oil (OPO) as the main source of fat in the diet on serum lipid concentrations (primary outcome) and other biomarkers of cardiovascular health such as blood pressure, endothelial function and inflammation (secondary outcomes) in at-risk (hypercholesterolaemic) subjects. This study was a randomised, blind, crossover, controlled clinical trial in free-living subjects. Participants, men and women aged 18–55 years, were randomly assigned to one of the two groups; normocholesterolaemic or hypercholesterolaemic group. Results showed that consumption of OPO for four weeks resulted in an improved blood lipid profile, decreasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, Apo B and low-density lipoprotein/ high-density lipoprotein ratio both in healthy and at-risk volunteers, in contrast to the opposite effect observed with high-oleic acid sunflower oil (HOSO), with no significant changes in other CVD risk factors. Furthermore, no changes were observed in relation to blood pressure, and biomarkers linked to inflammation and endothelial function. Authors conclude that OPO could have hypolipidemic actions in healthy consumers and in subjects with high blood cholesterol, contributing to cardiovascular disease prevention.
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to assess the effect of dietary consumption of olive pomace oil (OPO) on blood lipids (primary outcome) and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (blood pressure, inflammation and endothelial function as secondary outcomes). METHODS A randomized, controlled, blind, crossover intervention was carried out in healthy and at-risk (hypercholesterolemic) subjects. Participants consumed daily 45 g of OPO or high-oleic acid sunflower oil (HOSO) as control oil during 4 weeks. RESULTS OPO significantly reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; P = 0.003) and apolipoprotein B (Apo B; P = 0.022) serum concentrations, and LDL/HDL ratio (P = 0.027) in healthy and at-risk volunteers. These effects were not observed with HOSO. Blood pressure, peripheral artery tonometry (PAT), endothelial function and inflammation biomarkers were not affected. CONCLUSIONS Regular consumption of OPO in the diet could have hypolipidemic actions in subjects at cardiovascular risk as well as in healthy consumers, contributing to CVD prevention. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NCT04997122, August 8, 2021, retrospectively registered.
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No Effect of Isolated Anthocyanins from Bilberry Fruit and Black Rice on LDL Cholesterol or other Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults with Elevated Cholesterol: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Trial.
Aboufarrag, H, Hollands, WJ, Percival, J, Philo, M, Savva, GM, Kroon, PA
Molecular nutrition & food research. 2022;66(21):e2101157
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Elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides contribute significantly to the development of atherosclerosis, an underlying pathophysiological cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Conversely, elevated levels of circulating high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) provide protection against the development of atherosclerosis and is inversely correlated with the incidence of CVD. The main aim of this study was to determine the effects of two major types of anthocyanins on LDL-C and other cardiometabolic markers for CVD risk in hyperlipidaemic individuals. This study is a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, three arm crossover design. The three treatments were: (i) a bilberry extract delivering 320mg of mostly delphinidin/trihydroxy type anthocyanins, (ii) a black rice extract delivering 320mg of mostly cyanidin/dihydroxy type anthocyanins, and (iii) a placebo control. A total of fifty-five participants were randomly assigned to one of the three treatments. Results show that ingestion of 320mg day of delphinidin or cyanidin type anthocyanins for 28-day did not reduce LDL-C in a study population with elevated cholesterol levels. Additionally, neither did consumption of delphinidin or cyanidin type anthocyanins beneficially alter other biomarkers related to vascular function, glycaemic control or biomarkers of HDL function. Authors conclude that the lack of positive effects in their study may be due to the short duration of the treatments. Thus, future research should conduct studies based on longer time periods (≥12 weeks duration).
Abstract
SCOPE Some dietary interventions with berry fruits, berry fruit extracts, and purified anthocyanins have been reported to beneficially alter lipoprotein profiles in hyperlipidemic participants. The major anthocyanins in human diets are glycosides of cyanidin and delphinidin, and structure can influence both absorption and bioactivity. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of two major types of anthocyanins on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and other cardiometabolic markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in hyperlipidemic individuals. METHODS AND RESULTS Fifty-two hyperlipidemic participants complete this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, three arm crossover trial. Participants ingest capsules containing 320 mg of anthocyanins (bilberry trihydroxy-type or black rice dihydroxy-type) or placebo once daily for 28 days. Biomarkers of CVD risk are measured before and after the intervention period. Compared to the placebo, neither anthocyanin treatment significantly (p < 0.05) changes circulating levels of lipoproteins (total-/high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-/low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides, Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)), biomarkers of glycemic control (fasting glucose, fructosamine), biomarkers of HDL function (ApoA1, HDL3, paraoxonase-1 (PON1) arylesterase, and lactonase activities), or plasma bile acids. CONCLUSIONS These data do not support the notion that regular consumption of anthocyanins beneficially affects glycemic control or lipoprotein profiles or functions. It is possible the no effect observation is due to the relatively short duration of treatments.
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Effect of oat supplementation interventions on cardiovascular disease risk markers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Llanaj, E, Dejanovic, GM, Valido, E, Bano, A, Gamba, M, Kastrati, L, Minder, B, Stojic, S, Voortman, T, Marques-Vidal, P, et al
European journal of nutrition. 2022;61(4):1749-1778
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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of mortality among adults. Changes in diet can have a beneficial effect on the prevention and management of CVD. Studies have shown that increasing intake of wholegrains, particularly those containing oat components, reduces CVD risk markers including blood cholesterol, blood glucose and body mass index (BMI). The purpose of this systematic review was to look at the effects of oat supplementation interventions (OSI) on CVD risk markers among adults, accounting for different dietary backgrounds or control arms. 74 RCTs were included (4937 subjects). Supplementing the diet with oat cereals improves CVD risk markers in healthy adults and those with mild metabolic disturbances. In particular serum total and LDL cholesterol, BMI and waist circumference. The beneficial effects on total cholesterol and LDL-Cholesterol were independent of the dietary background. The role of OSIs on blood pressure, glucose homeostasis or other markers, could not be established.
Abstract
PURPOSE Oat supplementation interventions (OSIs) may have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, dietary background can modulate such effect. This systematic review assesses the effects of OSIs on CVD risk markers among adults, accounting for different dietary backgrounds or control arms. METHODS We included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that assessed the effect of oat, oat beta-glucan-rich extracts or avenanthramides on CVD risk markers. RESULTS Seventy-four RCTs, including 4937 predominantly hypercholesterolemic, obese subjects, with mild metabolic disturbances, were included in the systematic review. Of these, 59 RCTs contributed to the meta-analyses. Subjects receiving an OSI, compared to control arms without oats, had improved levels of total cholesterol (TC) [weighted mean difference and (95% CI) - 0.42 mmol/L, (- 0.61; - 0.22)], LDL cholesterol [- 0.29 mmol/L, (- 0.37; - 0.20)], glucose [- 0.25 nmol/L, (- 0.36; - 0.14)], body mass index [- 0.13 kg/m2, (- 0.26; - 0.01)], weight [- 0.94 kg, (- 1.84: - 0.05)], and waist circumference [- 1.06 cm, (- 1.85; - 0.27)]. RCTs on inflammation and/or oxidative stress markers were scarce and with inconsistent findings. RCTs comparing an OSI to heterogeneous interventions (e.g., wheat, eggs, rice, etc.), showed lowered levels of glycated haemoglobin, diastolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. The majority of included RCTs (81.1%) had some concerns for risk of bias. CONCLUSION Dietary OSIs resulted in lowered levels of blood lipids and improvements in anthropometric parameters among participants with predominantly mild metabolic disturbances, regardless of dietary background or control. Further high-quality trials are warranted to establish the role of OSIs on blood pressure, glucose homeostasis and inflammation markers.
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Effect of Casein Hydrolysate on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Zhou, S, Xu, T, Zhang, X, Luo, J, An, P, Luo, Y
Nutrients. 2022;14(19)
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Casein makes up around 80% of the protein in cow’s milk. Hydrolysed casein has been partially broken down, making it easier to digest. It has various biological functions including, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antihypertensive activities which could be beneficial for cardiovascular health. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarise the effects of casein hydrolysate supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors. 26 randomised control trials (RCTs) were included in the analysis. Casein hydrolysate significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with control diets, but had no effect on total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides or fasting blood glucose. The authors concluded that their findings support the consumption of casein hydrolysate in the population at risk for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Abstract
Casein hydrolysate has various biological functional activities, especially prominent are angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activities. Increasing evidence has reported the prominent hypotensive effect of casein hydrolysate. However, the effects of casein hydrolysate on cardiovascular risk factors remain unclear and require more comprehensive and detailed studies. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to summarize the effects of casein hydrolysate supplementation on blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood glucose. In the pooled analyses, casein hydrolysate significantly reduced systolic blood pressure by 3.20 mmHg (-4.53 to -1.87 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure by 1.50 mmHg (-2.31 to -0.69 mmHg). Supplementation of casein hydrolysate displayed no effect on total cholesterol (-0.07 mmol/L; -0.17 to 0.03 mmol/L), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.04 mmol/L; -0.15 to 0.08 mmol/L), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.01 mmol/L; -0.06 to 0.03 mmol/L), triglycerides (-0.05 mmol/L, -0.14 to 0.05 mmol/L), or fasting blood glucose (-0.01 mmol/L; -0.10 to 0.09 mmol/L) compared with the placebo diets. Collectively, this study indicated that supplementation of casein hydrolysate displayed decreasing effect on blood pressure without affecting blood lipids or glycemic status.
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The effects of olive leaf extract on cardiovascular risk factors in the general adult population: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Razmpoosh, E, Abdollahi, S, Mousavirad, M, Clark, CCT, Soltani, S
Diabetology & metabolic syndrome. 2022;14(1):151
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Modifiable unhealthy behaviours, such as sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and unhealthy food habits, are regarded as important contributors to the widespread prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which occur concurrently in overweight/obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia, and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether olive leaf extract (OLE) could improve the major cardiovascular-related variables, including lipid profile, glucose haemostasis, blood pressure, as well as liver/kidney and inflammatory markers in the general adult population. This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of twelve randomised controlled studies. Results show that OLE supplementation: - significantly decreased triglycerides and systolic blood pressure levels. - only had short-term positive effects on blood pressure and lipid profiles, which may be attributed to the active constituents in OLE. - had more profitable effects on the improvement of triglycerides, blood pressure, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol measures among participants with hypertension and individuals with normal body weight. Authors conclude that stronger randomised controlled trial investigations, assessing different doses and durations of OLE, are required to better elucidate the effects of OLE supplementation.
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the effect of olive leaf extract (OLE) supplementation on cardiovascular-related variables, including lipid, glycemic, inflammatory, liver and renal-related factors, as well as blood pressure. METHODS PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane library were searched, up to October 2021, for relevant controlled trials. Mean differences and standard deviations were pooled for all outcomes, using a random-effects model. The methodological quality, as well as quality of evidence were assessed using standard tools. RESULTS Twelve studies (n = 819 participants) were included in our analyses. Overall analyses showed that OLE supplementation significantly decreased triglyceride (TG) levels (WMD = - 9.51 mg/dl, 95% CI - 17.83, - 1.18; P = 0.025; I2 = 68.7%; P-heterogeneity = 0.004), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (WMD = - 3.86 mmHg, 95% CI - 6.44, - 1.28 mmHg; P = 0.003; I2 = 19.9%; P-heterogeneity = 0.28). Subgroup analyses also revealed a significant improvement in SBP (- 4.81 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (- 2.45 mmHg), TG (- 14.42 mg/dl), total cholesterol (TC) (- 9.14 mg/dl), and low-density lipoprotein-C (LDL-C) (- 4.6 mg/dl) measurements, in patients with hypertension. Significant reductions were also observed in TC (- 6.69 mg/dl), TG (- 9.21 mg/dl), and SBP (- 7.05 mmHg) in normal-weight individuals. However, no meaningful changes were seen in glucose hemostasis, liver and kidney, or inflammatory markers. CONCLUSION The present study revealed that supplementation with OLE yielded beneficial effects for blood pressure and lipid profile in adults, especially in patients with hypertension. As the quality of evidence for glucose hemostasis variables, liver, kidney, and inflammatory markers, were low-to-very low, higher quality RCTs may impact the overarching results. This study was registered at PROSPERO with the code CRD42022302395.
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Do B Vitamins Enhance the Effect of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Cardiovascular Diseases? A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials.
Zhu, J, Xun, PC, Kolencik, M, Yang, KF, Fly, AD, Kahe, K
Nutrients. 2022;14(8)
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Dietary intake of B-vitamins or omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been found to be inversely related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to examine whether the combined supplementation of B-vitamins and omega-3 PUFAs could provide additional beneficial effects on improving risk factors to prevent CVD beyond the effects of either of them alone. This study is a systematic review of fifteen studies. The sample sizes ranged from 12 to 2501 participants with study duration ranging from 4 weeks to 4.7 years. Results show that the combined supplementation with B-vitamins and omega-3 PUFAs may be promising and more effective at reducing plasma homocysteine, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol than each supplementation alone. Authors conclude that: - there is no solid evidence that the joint supplementation of B-vitamins and omega-3 PUFAs can offer a synergistic effect on preventing CVD and decreasing the relevant morbidity and/or mortality in susceptible populations. - dietetic strategies for preventing CVD need to focus more on the importance of considering effects at the whole food and dietary patterns level. - further well-designed high-quality trials that will use the combined supplementation of B vitamins and omega-3 PUFAs or dietary patterns rich in these two types of nutrients are required.
Expert Review
Conflicts of interest:
None
Take Home Message:
- Combined vitamin B and n3 PUFA supplementation might have favourable health effects
- Combined vitamin B and n3 PUFA supplementation could help in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease
- The suggested favourable dose ranges are vitamin B6: 2.5–80 mg/day, vitamin B12: 20–1000 μg/day, folic acid: 150–10000 μg/day, and n3 PUFA 0.2–2) g/day.
Evidence Category:
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A: Meta-analyses, position-stands, randomized-controlled trials (RCTs)
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B: Systematic reviews including RCTs of limited number
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C: Non-randomized trials, observational studies, narrative reviews
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D: Case-reports, evidence-based clinical findings
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E: Opinion piece, other
Summary Review:
- The paper reviews whether combined supplementation of vitamin B (B2, B6, B9, and B12) and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3 PUFA) outweighs the individual cardiovascular benefits of each supplement. Registered in PROSPERO under CRD42018085993
- A total of 15 clinical studies including 8,263 individuals published from December 2021, that investigated the combined effects of the supplements met inclusion criteria and were included in the review
- Although the results indicate the beneficial effects of combined supplementation in primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention, firm conclusions cannot be drawn from the existing data, and more studies are needed in this area.
Clinical practice applications:
In comparison with a single supplement alone, the combined administration of vitamin B and n3 PUFA might have:
- Hypolipidemic effects, by reducing triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol. Some of the studies indicate a lowering of LDL-c up to 13% and triglycerides up to 24%
- Anti-inflammatory effects, by reducing homocysteine. Based on some of the studies, the lowering effects might go up to 39%.
Dietary practice might benefit from the following:
- The authors highlighted food-based and healthy dietary pattern-based strategies should include food sources rich in these nutrients such as fish, vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, and eggs
- The authors conclude that intake of whole foods and whole diets rich in desirable foods (such as MedDiet) should be encouraged
- The supplementation dose ranges in the studies covered by the review were the following: vitamin B6: 2.5–80 mg/day, vitamin B12: 20–1000 μg/day, folic acid: 150–10000 μg/day and n3 PUFA 0.2–2) g/day
- Limitations of the systematic review include different supplementation regimens, variability of study designs in terms of duration of the intervention, existence of placebo group, dosages and the inability to monitor study subjects’ habitual diet.
Considerations for future research:
- Future studies should be designed regarding the need for a uniform methodological approach in testing the combined effects of vitamin B complex and n3 PUFA supplements
- The studies should investigate supplementation strategies and dietary patterns rich in both nutrients.
Abstract
Studies have suggested that B vitamins or omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may deter the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This systematic review aims to examine whether the combined supplementation of both B vitamins and omega-3 PUFAs could provide additional beneficial effects to prevent CVD beyond the effect of each supplement based on clinical trials published up to December 2021. The overall findings are inconsistent and inconclusive, yet the combined supplementation of these two nutrients may be more effective at reducing plasma homocysteine, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol than the individual components. The underlying mechanisms mainly include alleviating endothelial dysfunction, inhibiting atherosclerosis and lesion initiation, reducing oxidative stress, suppressing activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, regulating endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and interfering with methylation of genes that promote atherogenesis. Although biologically plausible, the existing literature is insufficient to draw any firm conclusion regarding whether B vitamins can further enhance the potential beneficial effects of omega-3 PUFA intake on either primary or secondary prevention of CVD. The inconsistent findings may be largely explained by the methodological challenges. Therefore, well-designed high-quality trials that will use the combined supplementation of B vitamins and omega-3 PUFAs or dietary patterns rich in these two types of nutrients are warranted.
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Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Systematic Review of Prospective Cohort Studies.
Sanchez-Gimenez, R, Ahmed-Khodja, W, Molina, Y, Peiró, OM, Bonet, G, Carrasquer, A, Fragkiadakis, GA, Bulló, M, Bardaji, A, Papandreou, C
Nutrients. 2022;14(13)
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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a major public health issue. Identification of circulating biomarkers with prognostic value may help to both identify pathophysiological processes relevant to CVD development and improve preventive cardiovascular risk reduction efforts. The aim of this study was to identify the association of circulating levels of microbial metabolites with CVD incidence. This study is a systematic review of twenty-one studies of which 19 were prospective cohort studies, one study included one nested case-control study and one study included two nested case–control studies. Results show that: - associations of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) [molecular metabolite derived from the gut flora] and subsequent risk of CV outcomes were supported by some but not all prospective studies. - inconsistent results were also obtained for secondary bile acids in relation to CVD and related outcomes, and CVD/all-cause mortality. - with regards to branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), their associations with CV outcomes were robust amongst most of the studies. Authors conclude that their findings show inconsistent results for TMAO and bile acids but robust ones for the relationships between BCAAs and CVD. Thus, further studies are needed to investigate whether circulating microbial metabolites could be an intervention target for CVD.
Abstract
Gut microbiota-derived metabolites have recently attracted considerable attention due to their role in host-microbial crosstalk and their link with cardiovascular health. The MEDLINE-PubMed and Elsevier's Scopus databases were searched up to June 2022 for studies evaluating the association of baseline circulating levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), secondary bile acids, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), tryptophan and indole derivatives, with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A total of twenty-one studies were included in the systematic review after evaluating 1210 non-duplicate records. There were nineteen of the twenty-one studies that were cohort studies and two studies had a nested case-control design. All of the included studies were of high quality according to the "Newcastle-Ottawa Scale". TMAO was positively associated with adverse cardiovascular events and CVD/all-cause mortality in some, but not all of the included studies. Bile acids were associated with atrial fibrillation and CVD/all-cause mortality, but not with CVD. Positive associations were found between BCAAs and CVD, and between indole derivatives and major adverse cardiovascular events, while a negative association was reported between tryptophan and all-cause mortality. No studies examining the relationship between SCFAs and CVD risk were identified. Evidence from prospective studies included in the systematic review supports a role of microbial metabolites in CVD.
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Evidence for the Benefits of Melatonin in Cardiovascular Disease.
Tobeiha, M, Jafari, A, Fadaei, S, Mirazimi, SMA, Dashti, F, Amiri, A, Khan, H, Asemi, Z, Reiter, RJ, Hamblin, MR, et al
Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine. 2022;9:888319
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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses a group of disorders involving blood vessels or the heart. The beneficial effects of melatonin [hormone] in treating various human diseases have been broadly investigated. Melatonin is an indoleamine-derived molecule, which is synthesised at night. The aim of this review was to point out therapeutic potentials of melatonin in the treatment of CVDs with an emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of action. This review shows that: - nearly all the studies have reported positive effects of melatonin on cardiovascular physiology, and the prevention of damage to the myocardium after heart attack, reperfusion injury, or sepsis. - melatonin can help blood pressure and heart arrhythmia. - some clinical trials indicated that the utilization of melatonin in CVDs is associated with more inconsistencies regarding its cardioprotective effects. Authors conclude that further preclinical and clinical studies are required to better delineate the cardiovascular benefits of melatonin.
Abstract
The pineal gland is a neuroendocrine gland which produces melatonin, a neuroendocrine hormone with critical physiological roles in the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin has been shown to possess anti-oxidant activity and neuroprotective properties. Numerous studies have shown that melatonin has significant functions in cardiovascular disease, and may have anti-aging properties. The ability of melatonin to decrease primary hypertension needs to be more extensively evaluated. Melatonin has shown significant benefits in reducing cardiac pathology, and preventing the death of cardiac muscle in response to ischemia-reperfusion in rodent species. Moreover, melatonin may also prevent the hypertrophy of the heart muscle under some circumstances, which in turn would lessen the development of heart failure. Several currently used conventional drugs show cardiotoxicity as an adverse effect. Recent rodent studies have shown that melatonin acts as an anti-oxidant and is effective in suppressing heart damage mediated by pharmacologic drugs. Therefore, melatonin has been shown to have cardioprotective activity in multiple animal and human studies. Herein, we summarize the most established benefits of melatonin in the cardiovascular system with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of action.