No label defined (Q3135037)

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis, are the leading cause of mortality. However, CVD rates in Spain and other Mediterranean areas are low compared to those of Northern Europe and the US. This North-to-South gradient could be explained in part by local dietary habits, such as the Mediterranean diet. There is increasing evidence that consumption of some foods or nutrients might stabilize atheroma plaques, the hallmark of atherosclerosis, rendering them less vulnerable to rupture and thereby preventing arterial thrombosis and ischemic events. Preliminary data suggest that consumption of walnuts, Mediterranean seeds rich in unsaturated fatty acids and bioactive phytochemicals with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is associated with delayed atherosclerosis progression. We hypothesize that walnut consumption will reduce cardiovascular risk via an anti-atherogenic effect. To address this issue, we will investigate: (i) in 350 older subjects, whether long-term supplementation with walnuts induces changes in a) circulating miRNAs related to lipoprotein metabolism; and b) sonographically-assessed progression of carotid intima-media thickness and plaque; (ii) in patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy, cross-sectional associations between the proportion of alpha-linolenic acid in red blood cell membranes (biomarker of long-term walnut consumption in a Mediterranean population) with histopathologic and immunohistochemical variables of plaques retrieved at surgery; (iii) in a mice model of Western diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis, the molecular mechanisms of aortic lesion changes after including in the chow walnuts in amounts equivalent to 30 g/d in humans. (Spanish)

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Barcelona

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Spanish Kohesio ID

PI15_01014

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No label defined (Q3135037)

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