Mediation of coffee-induced improvements in human vascular function by chlorogenic acids and its metabolites: Two randomized, controlled, crossover intervention trials.

Background & Aims: Polyphenol intake has been linked to improvements in human vascular function, although data on hydroxycinnamates, such as chlorogenic acid (CGA) have not yet been studied. We aimed to investigate the impact of coffee intake rich in chlorogenic acid on human vascular function and whether CGAs are involved in potential effects.

Methods: Two acute randomized, controlled, cross-over human intervention trials were conducted.

Novel Insights into Cardiovascular Regulation in Patients with Chronic Mountain Sickness.

Studies of high-altitude populations, and in particular of maladapted subgroups, may provide important insight into underlying mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of hypoxemia-related disease in general. Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is a major public health problem in mountainous regions of the world affecting many millions of high-altitude dwellers. It is characterized by exaggerated chronic hypoxemia, erythrocytosis, and mild pulmonary hypertension.

Epigenetics in Cardiovascular Regulation.

Epidemiological studies have shown an association between pathologic events occurring during early life and the development of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adulthood. These observations have led to the so-called fetal programming of adult disease hypothesis. In line with this hypothesis, short-term exposure to hypoxia after birth predisposes to exaggerated hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction later in life in rats, and transient perinatal hypoxia predisposes to exaggerated pulmonary hypertension during short-term exposure to high altitude in humans.

Developmental Origins of Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension and Systemic Vascular Dysfunction: Evidence from Humans.

Epidemiological studies have shown an association between pathologic events occurring during fetal/perinatal life and the development of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adulthood. These observations have led to the so-called developmental origin of adult disease hypothesis. More recently, evidence has been provided that the pulmonary circulation is also an important target for the developmental programming of adult disease in both experimental animal models and in humans.

Acute and Chronic Altitude-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction in Children and Adolescents.

Objective: To assess whether exposure to high altitude induces cognitive dysfunction in young healthy European children and adolescents during acute, short-term exposure to an altitude of 3450 m and in an age-matched European population permanently living at this altitude.

Study Design: We tested executive function (inhibition, shifting, and working memory), memory (verbal, short-term visuospatial, and verbal episodic memory), and speed processing ability in: (1) 48 healthy nonacclimatized European children and adolescents, 24 hours after arrival at high altitude and 3 months after return to low altitude; (2) 21 matched European subjects permanently living at high altitude; and (3) a matched control group tested twice at low altitude.

Results: Short-term hypoxia significantly impaired all but 2 (visuospatial memory and processing speed) of the neuropsychological abilities that were tested.