Microvascular Function

Arterial hypertension (AH) has been identified as an important public health problem and considered a new epidemic with high mortality and morbidity. High blood pressure (BP) levels increase the chances of coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure (HF), stroke, chronic renal failure (CRF) and death. Beetroot powder may be an easier way to increase the availability of nitric oxide and consequently vasodilation in these patients. However, studies are needed to evaluate its benefits in patients with AH.

The overall objective of this 14-month randomized crossover study is to seek evidence demonstrating that daily consumption of peanuts and peanut products improve cardiometabolic, cognitive, and intestinal health in a racially diverse prediabetes population.

The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of wild blueberries on cardiovascular health, cognitive function, and gut microbiota composition in non-Hispanic Black and White adults with elevated blood pressure.

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the effectiveness of using a freeze-dried wild blueberry powder on cardiometabolic health, cognitive function, and gut microbiota composition in adult women with prediabetes.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder affecting \~5-10% of pregnancies in the United States. Women who develop preeclampsia during pregnancy are more likely to develop and die of cardiovascular disease later in life, even if they are otherwise healthy. The reason why this occurs is unclear but may be related to blood vessel damage and increased inflammation that occurs during the preeclamptic pregnancy and persists postpartum. Low dose aspirin (LDA; 75-150mg/daily) is currently the most effective and clinically accepted therapy for reducing preeclampsia prevalence in women at high risk for developing the syndrome. The purpose of this study is to interrogate the mechanisms by which LDA therapy mitigates persistent vascular dysfunction in postpartum women who have had preeclampsia. In this study, the investigators use the blood vessels in the skin as a representative vascular bed for examining mechanisms of microvascular dysfunction in humans. Using a minimally invasive technique (intradermal microdialysis for the local delivery of pharmaceutical agents) they examine the blood vessels in a dime-sized area of the skin in women who have had a history of preeclampsia. As a compliment to these measurements, they also draw blood from the subjects and isolate the inflammatory cells.