Effects of Almonds on Vascular Reactivity in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

This is an interventional treatment trial for Vascular Disease focused on measuring almonds, heart disease, vascular reactivity, inflammation, dyslipidemia, oxidative stress Read More

Inclusion Criteria:

• Stable CAD Patients (men & postmenopausal women)
• aged 20-80 years
• weighing less than 115 Kg (BMI range 18.5-35 kg/m2)
• with coronary artery disease defined by the presence of lesions on coronary angiography, history of myocardial infarction, or positive stress test.
• Subjects are eligible to participate after a stent procedure only after they have been stable for one month after the stent procedure.
• All Ethnic Groups.
• Languages: English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with heart failure are not eligible for participation in this study.
• History or known allergy to nuts of any kind
• Women with a positive urine beta HCG pregnancy test and lactating women or women who are planning to become pregnant.
• Regular consumption of ≥ 5 oz nuts/week for 6 weeks prior to study admission
• Clinical history of other major illness including end-stage cancer, renal failure, hepatic failure, gastrointestinal disorders that may impair absorption, or other conditions that in the opinion of the principal investigator make a clinical study inappropriate.
• Regular use of oral steroids
• Cigarette smoking and/or nicotine replacement use
• Regular daily intake of ≥ 2 alcoholic drinks
• Illicit drug use
• History of a psychological illness or condition such as to interfere with the subject's ability to understand the requirements of the study.
• No dietary supplements containing phenolic compounds, i.e., herbal preparations, or berry containing preparations (such as cranberry capsules) for one month prior to study admission.
• Treatment with an investigational new drug within the last 30 days.
• Treatment with Vitamin E, Vitamin C, beta carotene, lipoic acid, or other food or herbal supplements within 1 month of enrollment (subjects taking multivitamins or other forms of vitamin E and C in doses that do not exceed two times the RDA will not be excluded).
• The following medications will be withheld in the morning of each ultrasound study visit as follows:

All vasoactive medications (nitrates, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and other vasodilators). Subjects will take their medications immediately after the ultrasound measurements are taken.