Recent studies have shown that chronic flavonoids treatment improves vascular function
and cardiovascular remodeling by decreasing superoxide anion production as well as
by increasing level NO derived from endothelial cells. Progressive decrease in systolic
blood pressure and reduction of low-density lipoprotein oxidation (Ox-LDL) has also
been reported. However, none of these studies has been done in patients with coronary
artery disease treated with statins.
Ours was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial. Forty- four patients
(11 women and 33 men, mean age 66 years) who had survived myocardial infarction and
had received statin therapy for at least 6 months (80% dose of 40mg/day simvastatin)
were included in the study. The subjects were randomized to receive either 3×85mg/day
of chokeberry flavonoids extract (Aronia melanocarpa E) or placebo for a period of
6 weeks. The study extract was a commercially-available (OTC) product of the following
declared composition: anthocyanins (about 25%), polymeric procyanidins (about 50%)
and phenolic acids (about 9%). Compared to placebo (ANOVA and Tukey's test), flavonoids
significantly reduced serum F2-isoprostans (p<.000) and ox-LDL levels (p<.000) (by
38% and 29%, respectively), as well as hsCRP (p<.007) and MCP-1 (p<.001) levels (by
23% and 29%, respectively). In addition, a significant increase in adiponectin (p<.03)
levels and a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure by a mean average
of 11 and 7.2mmHg, respectively, was observed.
In view of the fact that chokeberry flavonoids reduce the severity of inflammation,
independently of statins treatment, they can be used clinically for secondary prevention
of ischaemic heart disease.
