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Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers in Clinical Use and Their Modulation by Functional Foods

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Book cover Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

Biomarkers are conventionally defined as “biological molecules that represent health and disease states.” Type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension are strong risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Consequently, biomarkers reflecting blood glucose, conventional lipid profiles, blood pressure, and inflammation (e.g., C-reactive protein (CRP)), that are routinely used in clinical practice, are effective in predicting CVD. Functional foods, particularly berries, cocoa, and tea have been shown to lower blood glucose and improve insulin sensitivity in some studies, and in most they have beneficial effects on conventional lipids. Soy as a functional food in adults has been associated with lowering of total and LDL cholesterol levels. Emerging evidence supports the role of fruits and vegetables, cocoa, and tea in decreasing CRP, though we did not observe such effects following supplementation of berries and tea in adults with “prediabetes.” Consistent observations support the antihypertensive effects of berries, cocoa, and tea in adults with “prediabetes” or advanced CVD. Dietary bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols, have been shown to mediate biological mechanisms that lead to the modulation of clinical biomarkers. Thus, selected functional foods that are commonly consumed in the daily diet hold promise for CVD and can lower levels of biomarkers associated with disease progression.

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Abbreviations

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

apoB:

Apolipoprotein B

BMI:

Body mass index

BP:

Blood pressure

CAD:

Coronary artery disease

CHD:

Coronary heart disease

CJ:

Cranberry juice

CJC:

Cranberry juice cocktail

CRP:

C-reactive protein

CT:

Computed tomography

CVD:

Cardiovascular disease

DBP:

Diastolic blood pressure

DC:

Dark chocolate

EGCG:

Epigallocatechin gallate

F&V:

Fruits and vegetables

FBF:

Forearm blood flow

FBG:

Fasting blood glucose

FDA:

Food and drug administration (US)

FDB:

Freeze-dried blueberries

FDS:

Freeze-dried strawberries

FFWC:

Flavanol-free white chocolate

FMD:

Flow-mediated dilatation

FRDC:

Flavanol-rich dark chocolate

GT:

Green tea

GTE:

Green tea extracts

HDL-C:

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol

HOMA-IR:

Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance

HTN:

Hypertension

IR:

Insulin resistance

ISP:

Isolated soy protein

LDL-C:

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

NAFLD:

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

NCEP:

National Cholesterol Education Program

NEFA:

Non-esterified fatty acids

NMR:

Nuclear magnetic resonance

PJ:

Pomegranate juice

QUICKI:

Quantitative insulin sensitivity check index

SAA:

Serum amyloid A

SBP:

Systolic blood pressure

T2D:

Type 2 diabetes

TC:

Total cholesterol

TG:

Triglycerides

TLC:

Therapeutic lifestyle change

VCAM-1:

Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1

VLDL-C:

Very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, 301 Human Sciences, College of Human Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA

    Arpita Basu & Stacy Morris

  2. Department of Biology, Texas Woman’s University, 76204-5799, Denton, TX, USA

    Paramita Basu

  3. Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

    Timothy J. Lyons

Authors
  1. Arpita Basu
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  2. Stacy Morris
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  3. Paramita Basu
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  4. Timothy J. Lyons
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Correspondence to Arpita Basu .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Science & Technology , University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Division of Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

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Basu, A., Morris, S., Basu, P., Lyons, T.J. (2016). Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers in Clinical Use and Their Modulation by Functional Foods. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V. (eds) Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Disease. Biomarkers in Disease: Methods, Discoveries and Applications. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7678-4_37

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