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Pistachios Reduce Blood Pressure and Vascular Responses to Acute Stress in Healthy Adults
Author(s) -
West Sheila G.,
Kay Colin D.,
Gebauer Sarah K.,
Savastano David M.,
Diefenbach Chris M.,
KrisEtherton Penny M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a696-a
Subject(s) - blood pressure , crossover study , vascular resistance , heart rate , hemodynamics , medicine , zoology , cardiology , endocrinology , biology , alternative medicine , pathology , placebo
Exaggerated blood pressure (BP) reactivity to psychological stress is a risk factor for CVD. We designed a randomized, controlled, crossover feeding study to evaluate the effects of pistachios on responses to standardized stressors in 28 hypercholesterolemic adults with normal BP. Subjects were fed 3 isoenergetic diets for 4 wk each after a 2‐wk run‐in diet (35% total fat, 11% SFA). Diets studied were: a Step‐1 diet without pistachios (25% total fat, 8% SFA), Step‐1 plus 1.5 oz/d pistachios (1.5oz diet; 30% total fat, 8% SFA) and a similar diet containing 3.0 oz/d pistachios (3oz diet; 34% total fat, 8% SFA). At the end of each diet, BP and total peripheral vascular resistance (TPR) were measured at rest and during a math task and the cold pressor. Both pistachio diets reduced mean systolic BP (P < 0.05), although the magnitude of this effect was larger on the 1.5oz diet (change in SBP = −2.4 vs −4.7 mm Hg). The 3oz diet had larger effects on systemic hemodynamics (see Figure). The 3oz diet significantly reduced TPR and heart rate, and these changes were offset by increases in cardiac output. This shift in systemic hemodynamics would be expected to reduce cardiac workload if maintained long term. Our results suggest a novel dose‐dependent mechanism for the cardioprotective effects of pistachios. Supported by: California Pistachio Commission Partial support by: GCRC, PSU (NIH grant M01RR10732) Fellowship support by NSERC