Almond supplementation reduces serum uric acid in coronary artery disease patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective Elevated serum uric acid (UA), a biomarker of renal insufficiency, is also an independent prognostic marker for morbidity in coronary artery disease (CAD) and poses serious health risks. This study reports the effect of almond consumption on UA in CAD patients. Study design A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted with three groups: no-intervention (NI), Pakistani almonds (PA) or American almonds (AA). Patients were recruited from the Cardiology Clinics, Aga Khan University Hospital. Two follow-ups were scheduled at week-6 and week-12. 150 patients were randomly divided in three groups (50 per group). NI was not given almonds, whereas the PA and AA were given Pakistani and American almond varieties (10 g/day), respectively; with instruction to soak overnight and eat before breakfast. Results Almonds supplementation significantly reduced (p \u3c 0.05) serum UA among groups, and over time. At week-6, UA concentrations were -13 to -16 % less in PA and AA; at week-12 the concentrations were -14 to -18 % less, compared to NI. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and body weights of the participants remained fairly constant among all the groups. Conclusion Almonds (10 g/day), eaten before breakfast, reduces serum UA in CAD patients. Prevention of hyperuricemia can confer protection from kidney and vascular damage and if extrapolated for general population, dietary almonds can offer grander health benefit. Trial is registered at Australian New Zealand Clinical trial registry as ACTRN12614000036617

Comparison of HDL-raising efficacy of Pakistani and American almonds in coronary artery disease patients with sub-optimal HDL

Background and Objective: More than 70% of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) patients in our population, despite of having well-managed LDL have sub-optimal serum HDL levels. We therefore plan to compare the HDL-raising effect of Pakistani and American almonds on CAD patients with optimal LDL and sub-optimal HDL levels. Study Design: A total of sixty CAD patients with LDL \u3c 100 md/dl and HDL \u3c 40 mg/dl male and \u3c 50 mg/dl female, were recruited from the Aga Khan University Hospital. Arm 1 (Control) was not given almonds during the study, whereas arm 2 and 3 received Pakistani and American almonds respectively. 10 grams almond/day were to be consumed after overnight soaking and removal of skin for how long?six weeks. Lipid profiling was conducted atafter six weeks. Preliminary Results: A significant) increase of 16.8% and 14.8% (p \u3c 0.05) was obtained in serum HDL after 6 weeks consumption of f Pakistani and American almonds, respectively. The difference among the two almond varieties was not significant. Triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, body weight and blood pressure were not significantly affected. Conclusion/Recommendation: Ten grams of overnight soaked and peeled almonds (of either variety) potentially improves serum HDL in CAD patients with sub-optimal HDL. Keywords: Almond, Coronary Artery Disease, HDL, Pakista