Resveratrol In Red Wine Appears To Improve Blood Vessel Flexibility In Diabetics.

• Resveratrol in red wine could reduce the impact of arteriosclerosis in those with type-2 diabetes by reducing the stiffness in arteries.

Red wine is proving to offer the drinker some positive health benefits especially for those with certain health conditions. This is set against the issues of overdrinking and even alcoholism. Resveratrol which is found in red wine has been the focus of much interest in clinical studies because of its associations with better heart health amongst other benefits. Type-2 diabetics especially appear to benefit most of all from ingesting resveratrol which is also found in peanuts, various berries and of course red grape skins. The biochemical basis for this compounds activity is still being examined.

The findings for resveratrol’s benefits come from a couple of studies in animals and humans. In the human clinical study, arterial stiffness was examined which it appears resveratrol might reverse. Arterial stiffness can affect how hard the heart has to work to pump blood through the body. It is known that those with type 2 diabetes are more likely to have stiffer or less flexible arteries which increases their risk of atherosclerosis and further heart disease.

Researchers from the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute at the Boston University School of Medicine, measured the thickness of the aorta, the main blood vessel leaving the heart, of 57 patients with type 2 diabetes. All these patients were aged 56 and above, and generally overweight and obese. They also assessed blood-vessel function. One group of patients were given daily doses of resveratrol (100mg/day) for two weeks, and then 300mg/day for a further two weeks while the others were given a placebo.

Naomi Hamburg, M.D., leading the vascular biology section at the Institute stated:-

“This adds to emerging evidence that there may be interventions that may reverse the blood vessel abnormalities that occur with aging and are more pronounced in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity.”

The investigators also conducted tests to measure whether there was a dose dependency associated with resveratrol supplementation. Overall, the team found a trend toward less arterial stiffness in participants taking resveratrol supplements, but it wasn’t statistically significant. However, in a subset of 23 patients with high arterial stiffness at the start of the study, 100-mg daily doses of resveratrol for two weeks reduced stiffness 4.8 percent. When the regimen was followed by the 300-mg doses it decreased stiffness by 9.1 percent. Arterial stiffness increased amongst those taking a placebo over the four week period.

In earlier mice studies, resveratrol has been shown to activate the SIRT1 gene which is associated with slowing up the aging process as well as development of numerous diseases including neurodegeneration. To assess the situation in humans, the researchers took samples from the blood-vessel linings of seven patients and examined SIRT1 activity. They found that there was a slight improvement in gene activity after resveratrol supplementation.

“We found that resveratrol also activates the longevity gene SIRT1 in humans, and this may be a potential mechanism for the supplements to reduce aortic stiffness.”

“The effect of resveratrol may be more about improving structural changes in the aorta, and less about the relaxation of blood vessels, and people with more normal aortic stiffness may not get as much benefit.”

They accept that studies over a longer period of supplementation are needed to monitor the effects of resveratrol supplementation on vascular function.

The findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology/Peripheral Vascular Disease 2017 Scientific Sessions, held from May 4 to 6 in Minneapolis.