Cardiovascular Nutrition

Research Overview

Lifestyle behaviors, especially diet, can have a significant effect on reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Major components of diet that can alter this risk include energy balance, type of fat (fatty acid classes) and potentially other factors such as type of protein and carbohydrate, plant sterols and other food associated compounds. The research conducted in the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory is focused on assessing the interplay between diet and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Work in the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory includes or has included studies of trans fatty acids and trans fatty acid alternatives, vegetable oils high in saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid, soy protein and isoflavones, plant sterol/stanol esters, genetically modified/selectively bred vegetable oils, carbohydrate type and glycemic index. Selected issues are investigated in animal models with the aim of determining the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms by which dietary factors alter cardiovascular disease risk, and in humans with kinetic studies to address issues related to lipoprotein and fatty acid metabolism. Current projects are addressing the relationship between: markers of cholesterol homeostasis and cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes; plasma biomarkers of nutrient intake and diet quality in a family based weight management program as well as relative to self reported data and CVD incidence; and dietary fatty acid patterns and chronic disease risk in several population-based studies (Estrogen Replacement &Atherosclerosis Trial [ERA], Nutrition and Memory in the Elderly [NAME], Jackson Heart Study, and currently the Women?s Health Initiative [WHI] and Physicians Health Study [PHS II]. The application of the systematic evidence based review process in determining Dietary Reference Intake values and other dietary guidelines is being investigated. Ongoing collaborations include or have included the assessment of immune function as altered by fatty acid intake, vitamin K as altered by hydrogenation and as a marker for partially-hydrogenated fat intake, the relationship between very long chain omega-3 fatty acids and cognitive function and osteoarthritis and community based interventions to promote healthy diet and physical activity patterns in postmenopausal women. The laboratory has also collaborated with the Evidence Based Practice Group at the Tufts-New England Medical Center on comprehensive evaluations of a number of nutrition topics..

Capabilities

The Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory has the ability to determine fatty acid profiles in plasma/serum and its fractions (cholesteryl ester, triglyceride, phospholipid), red blood cells and tissue samples, cultured cells and media, and individual foods or food homogenates. The laboratory has the ability to assess cholesterol homeostasis using a small volume of plasma/serum by measuring circulating levels of cholestanol and phytosterols (beta-sitosterol and campesterol) as markers of cholesterol absorption efficiency and the cholesterol precursors (lathosterol, desmosterol and squalene) as markers of cholesterol synthesis rates. Highly sensitive gas chromatography methodology for cholesterol determination of biological samples is available. The Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory also has the capacity to do the following methods on both tissue and cell samples: RNA extraction, reverse transcription, real time PCR, PCR, primer design, protein extraction, subcellular fractionation, agarose and polyacrylamide gel eletrophoresis, and Western blotting. Available is the necessary equipment to perform cell culture studies.

Related Links (not HNRCA-sponsored)

• American Heart Association
• NHLBI (National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute)
• American Society for Nutrition
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• USDA Food Composition Data