Abstract
Background
Postmenopausal women have a high prevalence of hypertension and often develop arterial
stiffness thereby increasing cardiovascular disease risk. Although antihypertensive
drug therapies exist, increasing numbers of people prefer natural therapies. In vivo
studies and a limited number of clinical studies have demonstrated the antihypertensive
and vascular-protective effects of blueberries.
Objective
To examine the effects of daily blueberry consumption for 8 weeks on blood pressure
and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension.
Design
This was an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Participants/setting
Forty-eight postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension recruited from
the greater Tallahassee, FL, area participated.
Intervention
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 22 g freeze-dried blueberry
powder or 22 g control powder.
Main outcome measures
Resting brachial systolic and diastolic blood pressures were evaluated and arterial
stiffness was assessed using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and brachial-ankle
pulse wave velocity. C-reactive protein, nitric oxide, and superoxide dismutase were
measured at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks.
Statistical analyses performed
Statistical analysis was performed using a split plot model of repeated measures analysis
of variance.
Results
After 8 weeks, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure (131±17 mm Hg
[P<0.05] and 75±9 mm Hg [P<0.01], respectively) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (1,401±122 cm/second;
P<0.01) were significantly lower than baseline levels (138±14 mm Hg, 80±7 mm Hg, and
1,498±179 cm/second, respectively), with significant (P<0.05) group×time interactions in the blueberry powder group, whereas there were no
changes in the group receiving the control powder. Nitric oxide levels were greater
(15.35±11.16 μmol/L; P<0.01) in the blueberry powder group at 8 weeks compared with
baseline values (9.11±7.95 μmol/L), whereas there were no changes in the control group.
Conclusions
Daily blueberry consumption may reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness, which
may be due, in part, to increased nitric oxide production.
Keywords
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Biography
S. A. Johnson is a postdoctoral fellow, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, and assistant director, Center for Advancing Exercise and Nutrition Research on Aging, College of Human Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee; at the time of the study, she was a doctoral degree candidate and study coordinator, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
Biography
A. Figueroa is an associate professor, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
Biography
R. G. Feresin is a doctoral degree candidate, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
Biography
M. L. Elam is a doctoral degree candidate, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
Biography
N. Navaei is a master’s degree bypass student and is a doctoral student, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee; at the time of the study, she was a master’s degree student, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
Biography
A. Wong is an assistant professor, Department of Physical Education, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Campus, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico; at the time of the study, he was a doctoral candidate, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
Biography
R. Kalfon is a doctoral student, Department of Molecular Genetics, Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; at the time of the study, he was a master’s degree student, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
Biography
L. T. Ormsbee is a wellness coordinator, Campus Recreation, Florida State University, Tallahassee; at the time of the study, she was a study coordinator, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
Biography
S. Hooshmand is an assistant professor, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.
Biography
M. E. Payton is department head and professor, Department of Statistics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.
Biography
B. H. Arjmandi is the Margaret A. Sitton Professor, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, and director, Center for Advancing Exercise and Nutrition Research on Aging, College of Human Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee; at the time of the study, he was also chair, Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 07, 2015
Accepted:
October 27,
2014
Footnotes
Supplementary materials: Podcast available at www.andjrnl.org/content/podcast
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT This study was supported by the US Highbush Blueberry Council/US Department of Agriculture.
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01686282.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
