The Effects of Berry Extracts on Oxidative Stress in Cultured Cardiomyocytes and Microglial Cells: A Potential Cardioprotective and Neuroprotective Mechanism.

Oxidative stress is a key underlying factor in cognitive decline and atherosclerosis. Oxidative stress occurs at the cellular level with an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species and a deficiency in antioxidants. Mounting evidence suggests that berry flavonoids may promote cellular health by exerting antioxidant properties.

A select review reporting the quality of studies measuring endothelial dysfunction in randomised diet intervention trials.

A quality assessment of the primary studies reported in the literature carried out using select dietary ingredients (DI) purported to affect vascular endothelial function was conducted through a systematic PubMed search from January 2000 to August 2012. A total of seventy randomised controlled trials with defined DI (folic acid (fifteen), n-3 fatty acids (twenty), cocoa (fifteen) and isoflavones (twenty)) and standardised measures of vascular endothelial function were evaluated. Jadad scores, quality scoring parameters for DI and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) methodology used were ascertained.

Enteral nutritional intake in adult korean intensive care patients.

Background: Nutritional support is important for maximizing clinical outcomes in critically ill patients, but enteral nutritional intake is often inadequate.

Objective: To assess the nutritional intake of energy and protein during the first 4 days after initiation of enteral feeding and to examine the relationship between intake and interruptions of enteral feeding in Korean patients in intensive care.

Methods: A cohort of 34 critically ill adults who had a primary medical diagnosis and received bolus enteral feeding were studied prospectively.

Why patients in critical care do not receive adequate enteral nutrition? A review of the literature.

Enteral nutrition is frequently used to provide nutrients for critically ill patients. However, only about half of critically ill enterally fed patients receive their energy requirements. Underfeeding is associated with detrimental clinical outcomes including infection, pressure ulcers, impaired wound healing, prolonged hospital stays, and increased morbidity and mortality.

Adequacy of early enteral nutrition in adult patients in the intensive care unit.

Aims And Objectives: To evaluate the adequacy of energy and protein intake of patients in a Korean intensive care unit in the first four days after initiation of enteral feeding and to investigate the factors that had impact on adequate intake.

Background: Underfeeding is a common problem for patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit and is associated with severe negative consequences, including increased morbidity and mortality.

Design: A prospective, cohort study was conducted in a medical intensive care unit of a university hospital in Korea.

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2): a promising vascular-specific marker for screening cardiovascular risk?

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease that can be assessed by circulating biomarkers. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2)) is an enzyme produced in atherosclerotic plaque and is bound to low density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. It has a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis by promoting vascular inflammation.

The emerging role of flavonoid-rich cocoa and chocolate in cardiovascular health and disease.

Cocoa and chocolate have recently been found to be rich plant-derived sources of antioxidant flavonoids with beneficial cardiovascular properties. These favorable physiological effects include: antioxidant activity, vasodilation and blood pressure reduction, inhibition of platelet activity, and decreased inflammation. Increasing evidence from experimental and clinical studies using cocoa-derived products and chocolate suggest an important role for these high-flavanol-containing foods in heart and vascular protection.

Induction of renal cytochrome P450 arachidonic acid epoxygenase activity by dietary gamma-linolenic acid.

Dietary gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid found in borage oil (BOR), lowers systolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). GLA is converted into arachidonic acid (AA) by elongation and desaturation steps. Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) are cytochrome P450 (P450)-derived AA eicosanoids with important roles in regulating blood pressure.

Omega-3 fatty acids: role in cardiovascular health and disease.

Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, play an important role in cardiovascular health and disease. Clinical trials provide substantial evidence to support current dietary recommendations for omega-3 fatty acids in cardiovascular disease management. The cardioprotective benefits of omega-3 fatty acids may be attributed to multiple physiological effects on lipids, blood pressure, vascular function, cardiac rhythms, platelet function, and inflammatory responses.

Effect of docosahexaenoic acid on lipoprotein subclasses in hyperlipidemic children (the EARLY study).

To test the hypothesis that a dietary omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid, improves the lipoprotein subclass profile of children who have hyperlipidemia, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Children who had hyperlipidemia (n = 20) were stabilized on a low-fat diet for 6 weeks and then randomized to receive 1.2 g/day of docosahexaenoic acid for 6 weeks or placebo.

Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate improves endothelial function and increases plasma epicatechin concentrations in healthy adults.

Background: Dark chocolate derived from the plant (Theobroma cacao) is a rich source of flavonoids. Cardioprotective effects including antioxidant properties, inhibition of platelet activity, and activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase have been ascribed to the cocoa flavonoids.

Objective: To investigate the effects of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate on endothelial function, measures of oxidative stress, blood lipids, and blood pressure in healthy adult subjects.

Antioxidant vitamins C and E improve endothelial function in children with hyperlipidemia: Endothelial Assessment of Risk from Lipids in Youth (EARLY) Trial.

Background: Hyperlipidemia is associated with endothelial dysfunction, an early event in atherosclerosis and predictor of risk for future coronary artery disease. Epidemiological studies suggest that increased dietary intake of antioxidants reduces the risk of coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to determine whether antioxidant vitamin therapy improves endothelial function and affects surrogate biomarkers for oxidative stress and inflammation in hyperlipidemic children.

Effects of docosahexaenoic acid on vascular pathology and reactivity in hypertension.

Previous studies have shown that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has an antihypertensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). To investigate possible mechanisms for this effect, vascular pathology and reactivity were determined in SHR treated with dietary DHA. SHR (7 weeks) were fed a purified diet with either a combination of corn/soybean oils or a DHA-enriched oil for 6 weeks.