Effect of almond consumption on vascular function in patients with coronary artery disease: a randomized, controlled, cross-over trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether adding almonds (a source of choline) to a diet would improve vascular function and inflammation in CAD patients.
Results Summary
The almond-enriched diet increased choline intake above the EAR/RDA but did not significantly impact vascular function or inflammation markers. It improved overall diet quality without adverse effects.
Population
45 patients with coronary artery disease (27 female, 18 male, aged 45-77, BMI 20-41 kg/m²).
Effective Dosage
85 g almonds daily (implicit choline content, exact amount not specified).
Duration
6 weeks per intervention phase.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
addition of 85 g almonds daily to a National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Step 1 diet (ALM) for 6 weeks | no change | vascular function assessed by measures of flow-mediated dilation, peripheral arterial tonometry, and pulse wave velocity | patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) | - | did not alter | #1 |
ALM diet | no change | serum lipid profile | CAD patients | - | did not significantly modify | #2 |
ALM diet | no change | blood pressure | CAD patients | - | did not significantly modify | #3 |
ALM diet | no change | C-reactive protein | CAD patients | - | did not significantly modify | #4 |
ALM diet | no change | tumor necrosis factor-α | CAD patients | - | did not significantly modify | #5 |
ALM diet | no change | E-selectin | CAD patients | - | did not significantly modify | #6 |
addition of almonds to the CON diet | increase | plasma α-tocopherol status | patients | by a mean of 5.8% | increased | #7 |
ALM diet | decrease | vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 | - | by 5.3% | tended to decrease | #8 |
ALM diet | increase | urinary nitric oxide | - | by 17.5% | tended to increase | #9 |
ALM intervention | increase | overall quality of the diet | - | - | improved | #10 |
ALM intervention | increase | calcium, magnesium, choline, and fiber intakes | - | above the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) or Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) | increasing | #11 |
OBJECTIVE: Almonds reduce cardiovascular disease risk via cholesterol reduction, anti-inflammation, glucoregulation, and antioxidation. The objective of this randomized, controlled, cross-over trial was to determine whether the addition of 85 g almonds daily to a National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Step 1 diet (ALM) for 6 weeks would improve vascular function and inflammation in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A randomized, controlled, crossover trial was conducted in Boston, MA to test whether as compared to a control NCEP Step 1 diet absent nuts (CON), incorporation of almonds (85 g/day) into the CON diet (ALM) would improve vascular function and inflammation. The study duration was 22 weeks including a 6-weeks run-in period, two 6-weeks intervention phases, and a 4-weeks washout period between the intervention phases. A total of 45 CAD patients (27 F/18 M, 45-77 y, BMI = 20-41 kg/m(2)) completed the study. Drug therapies used by patients were stable throughout the duration of the trial. RESULTS: The addition of almonds to the CON diet increased plasma α-tocopherol status by a mean of 5.8%, reflecting patient compliance (P ≤0.05). However, the ALM diet did not alter vascular function assessed by measures of flow-mediated dilation, peripheral arterial tonometry, and pulse wave velocity. Further, the ALM diet did not significantly modify the serum lipid profile, blood pressure, C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α or E-selectin. The ALM diet tended to decrease vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 by 5.3% (P = 0.064) and increase urinary nitric oxide by 17.5% (P = 0.112). The ALM intervention improved the overall quality of the diet by increasing calcium, magnesium, choline, and fiber intakes above the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) or Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the addition of almonds to a NECP Step 1 diet did not significantly impact vascular function, lipid profile or systematic inflammation in CAD patients receiving good medical care and polypharmacy therapies but did improve diet quality without any untoward effect. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with the ClinicalTrials.Gov with the identifier: NCT00782015.