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Wine and polyphenols related to platelet aggregation and atherothrombosis
1Nutrition and Health Unit, International Wine and Vine Office, Paris, France.
Insights
Moderate wine consumption, rich in polyphenols, offers cardiovascular protection by reducing platelet aggregation, unlike alcohol alone which can cause harmful rebound effects. This highlights wine
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular research
- Nutritional science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Epidemiological studies link moderate wine/alcohol intake to reduced coronary heart disease (CHD) risk.
- This protective effect is partly attributed to increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol.
- Platelet activity is a key factor in atherosclerosis and CHD development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms behind the cardioprotective effects of wine, beyond HDL-cholesterol increases.
- To explore the role of wine's polyphenolic components and their impact on platelet activity.
- To differentiate the effects of wine consumption from alcohol consumption, particularly regarding platelet aggregation.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological studies and recent research on alcohol, wine, and cardiovascular health.
- Analysis of the impact of wine phenolics on platelet function, prostanoid synthesis, and nitric oxide pathways.
- Comparison of platelet aggregation responses after acute alcohol versus wine consumption in human and animal models.
Main Results:
- HDL-cholesterol explains only 50% of alcohol's protective effect; the remainder is linked to decreased platelet activity.
- Wine's polyphenols, not just ethanol, inhibit platelet aggregation by reducing prostanoid synthesis and potentially via nitric oxide.
- Wine phenolics increase vitamin E levels and decrease platelet oxidation, while alcohol consumption leads to a rebound hyperaggregability, which is absent with wine.
Conclusions:
- Wine, particularly its polyphenolic compounds, significantly inhibits platelet aggregation, contributing to its cardioprotective effects against atherosclerosis and CHD.
- The absence of rebound hyperaggregability after wine consumption, unlike alcohol, offers a crucial safety advantage.
- Wine's unique composition provides multifaceted cardiovascular benefits by modulating platelet function and oxidative stress.
Abstract:
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an inverse correlation between moderate wine and alcohol consumption and morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD). This protective effect has been associated with an increase in the plasma level of high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, as it is well known that plasma HDL is inversely correlated with CHD. In addition, it has become evident that blood platelets contribute to the rate of development of atherosclerosis and CHD through several mechanisms. Recent studies have shown HDL-cholesterol levels can explain only 50% of the protective effect of alcoholic beverages. The other 50% may be partly related to decreased platelet activity. The antiplatelet activity of wine is explained not only by ethanol but also by the polyphenolic components with which red wines are richly endowed. Several studies carried out in humans and animals have shown that wine phenolics could exert their effects by reducing prostanoid synthesis from arachidonate. In addition, it has been suggested that wine phenolics could reduce platelet activity mediated by nitric oxide. Moreover, wine phenolics increase vitamin E levels while decreasing the oxidation of platelets submitted to oxidative stress. However, a rebound phenomenon of hyperaggregability is observed after acute alcohol consumption but not after wine consumption. This protection afforded by wine has been duplicated in animals with grape phenolics added to alcohol. This rebound phenomenon could explain ischemic strokes or sudden deaths known to occur after episodes of drunkenness. It appears that wine and wine phenolics in particular could significantly inhibit platelet aggregation and that this could explain, at least in part, the protective effect of red wine against atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.