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Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000
Published on: October 15, 2010
Constituents of red wine other than alcohol improve endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease
Kalliopi Karatzi1, Christos Papamichael, Konstantinos Aznaouridis
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece. popikaratzi@yahoo.com
Insights
Red wine
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Endothelial Function Studies
Background:
- Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) patients may benefit from moderate red wine consumption.
- Limited knowledge exists on red wine's acute effects on postprandial endothelial function and hemostatic factors in CAD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the postprandial effects of alcohol and antioxidants in red wine on endothelial function and fibrinogen levels in CAD patients.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen male CAD patients consumed 250 ml of red wine or de-alcoholized red wine on separate occasions.
- Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and fibrinogen levels were measured pre-consumption and at 30, 60, and 90 minutes post-consumption.
Main Results:
- De-alcoholized red wine consumption resulted in significantly higher FMD compared to regular red wine (P=0.05).
- FMD increased after de-alcoholized red wine but decreased after regular red wine (P=0.006).
- Fibrinogen concentrations remained unchanged with both beverages.
Conclusions:
- Acute consumption of red wine without alcohol improved endothelial function (higher FMD) in CAD patients more than regular red wine.
- The acute impact of red wine on endothelial function may stem from non-alcohol constituents.
Background:
Several studies suggest that red wine is beneficial in coronary artery disease (CAD). Although the long-term effect of moderate red wine consumption on endothelial function is currently under investigation, there is little knowledge about its effect on postprandial endothelial function and haemostatic factors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the postprandial effects of alcohol content and the antioxidants of red wine on endothelial function and fibrinogen levels in CAD patients.
Methods:
Fifteen males with angiographically documented CAD were recruited for the study. All volunteers ingested 250 ml of either red wine or de-alcoholized red wine on two different days. Blood samples (for analysis of fibrinogen and blood lipids) were collected and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was determined before and 30, 60 and 90 min following consumption of each beverage
Results:
FMD was higher following the consumption of de-alcoholized red wine [type of wine effect, P=0.05 repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA)]. Furthermore, the pattern of the response was different between the two beverages, as FMD increased following the ingestion of de-alcoholized red wine, but it decreased after consumption of regular red wine (type of wine by time interaction effect, P=0.006 repeated measures ANOVA). Fibrinogen concentrations were unaltered
Conclusions:
Acute ingestion of red wine without alcohol led to higher FMD than ingestion of regular red wine in CAD patients. The acute effect of red wine on endothelial function may be different than its long-term effect and it could be attributed to its constituents other than alcohol.
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