Summary of the Study โon Cocoa Extract,Inflammation,and Cardiovascular Health
Thisโค article details a follow-up study โคto the large-scale โคCOSMOS trial,which previously showed a 27% โขreduction in cardiovascular disease mortalityโ with cocoa extract supplementation in adults over 60. This new research investigates how โ cocoa extract might achieve this benefit, focusing on inflammaging – theโ age-related chronic low-grade inflammation thatโข contributes โto cardiovascular disease.
Key Findings:
* Reduced Inflammation: Analysis of blood samples from 598โ COSMOS โขparticipants revealedโ that cocoa extract supplementation led to โan 8.4% annual decrease inโ hsCRP, a key biomarker of inflammation, โcomparedโ to the placebo group.
* Other Biomarkers: While hsCRP decreased,other inflammation biomarkers (IL-6,TNF-ฮฑ,IL-10,IFN-ฮณ) remained relatively stable or showed modest increases.โ Interestingly, IFN-ฮณ (an immune-related cytokine) increased, prompting further research.
* Link to Cardiovascular โBenefits: Researchers believe the reduction in hsCRP may explain the cardio-protective effects observed in the original COSMOS trial.
* Potential Gender Differences: A small โฃreductionโฃ in IL-6 was observed in female participants, โbut not in males, suggesting potential โgender-specificโ effects.
* Plant-Based Diet Emphasis: The studyโฃ reinforces the importance of a diverse,โ plant-based diet, especially those rich in flavanols like cocoa, for cardiovascular health.
Study Details:
* Trial: Follow-up analysis of dataโฃ from the COSMOS trial (2014-2020), involving 21,442 participants over 60.
*โ Focus: Measuring โchangesโค in five inflammaging biomarkers over 2 years.
* Funding: Supported by the National Institutes โof Health and โinvestigator-initiated grants from Mars Edge and Pfizer/Haleon (who provided study โmaterials).โค Importantly, these companiesโ had no influence on the study design or conduct.
Future Research:
The researchers plan to continue analyzing the COSMOS โdata โto investigate whetherโค cocoa extract (andโฃ a multivitamin regimen used inโ the original trial) can further curb severe inflammaging and โฃimpact other age-relatedโค health outcomes. They also aim to understand the significance ofโค the observed increase in IFN-ฮณ.