Nutraceuticals and Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy: The Available Clinical Evidence

The aim of the present critical review is to summarize the available clinical evidence supporting the use of some dietary supplements that have been shown to lower blood pressure in hypertensive pregnant women. A systematic search strategy was carried out to identify trials in MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, MD, USA; January 1980 to September 2019) and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK). The terms \u2018nutraceuticals\u2019, \u2018dietary supplements\u2019, \u2018pregnancy\u2019, \u2018pre-eclampsia\u2019, \u2018clinical trial\u2019, and \u2018human\u2019 were incorporated into an electronic search strategy. The references of the identified studies and review articles were reviewed to look for additional studies of interest. We preferably selected papers that reported recent comprehensive reviews or meta-analysis, or original clinical trials of substances with blood pressure-lowering or vascular protective effect in pregnancy. There is a relative body of evidence that supports the use of calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, and resveratrol in preventing the development of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, and evidence supporting drug treatment too. Further clinical research is advisable to identify the dosage and timing of the supplementation, the group of women that might benefit the most from this approach, and the nutraceuticals with the best cost-effectiveness and risk-benefit ratio for widespread use in clinical practice

Management of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders in patients infected with SARS CoV-2: pharmacological and clinical issues

Aims: Coronavirus-19 infection (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the world. It is known that among patients with hypertension, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cardiovascular (CV) diseases, COVID-19 is associated with greater morbidity and mortality compared to patients without these conditions. This correlation is of great importance in pregnant women affected by COVID-19 since it usually leads to the development of a serious clinical complication. In particular, managing hypertensive disorders in pregnancy can be problematic because anti-hypertensive medications may interact pharmacologically with drugs used to treat COVID-19. This review focuses on the safety of drug treatment for COVID-19 in pregnant women treated with anti-hypertensive medication. Methods and results: Several databases were searched to identify relevant literature. A few anti-hypertensive drugs and antithrombotic treatments are known for having a beneficial effect in the management of hypertension and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. In this review, we focus on the expected drug-drug interactions with the experimental agents mostly used to treat COVID-19. Conclusions: The current indication for the management of hypertension-related disorders in pregnancy maintain their validity, while the risk of pharmacological interaction with the currently tested anti-SARS-CoV-2 medications is relatively low

Vitamin D Supplementation and COVID-19 Outcomes: Mounting Evidence and Fewer Doubts

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has already killed more than 6 million people around the world. A growing body of epidemiological evidence suggests that low 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH-vitamin D) plasma levels are associated with an increased risk of developing COVID-19 and -most importantly-with a higher risk of developing more severe COVID-19 and dying. On the other hand, vitamin D supplementation during the early phases of COVID-19 has been related to a decreased length of hospital stay, less frequent need for oxygen, and a reduced mortality rate in inpatients. This seems to be particularly true when high dosages are used. In light of this evidence, further studies are needed to define the best timing for vitamin D supplementation and the most effective dosage schedule

An Evolving Definition of a “Healthy Diet”

Throughout life, most of us eat at least three meals a day for 365 days a year. It follows that, in a 90-year life, everyone is potentially exposed to food constituents (i.e., nutrients, bioactives, and other chemical compounds) more than 95 thousand times; therefore, dietary habits are a relevant determinant of health status. In daily clinical practice, we usually discourage patients from eating foods deemed unhealthy, such as highly processed items. Even more rarely do we recommend that patients consume healthy foods, except as an alternative to junk foods. Nevertheless, it is well known that a healthy diet prevents several chronic and degenerative diseases and is the key to a healthy and long life. However, what is a healthy diet and how do we define it? Recently, a large number of epidemiological studies have attempted to identify which dietary factors correlate with negative health outcomes, including death, loss of function, and lack of well-being. Determinants of positive health outcomes have been more rarely investigated, on the contrary

Short-term evolocumab-induced tendon xanthomas regression in an elderly patient with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a rare inherited disorder affecting 1 in 160,000 to 1 in 300,000 individuals and resulting in extremely elevated low-densitym lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Manifestations of ASCVD most notably include fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) and occlusive vascular disease requiring surgical or percutaneous revascularization. Deposits of cholesterol in the skin or tendons, or both, called xanthomas, are the hallmark of the disease

Red Yeast Rice for the Improvement of Lipid Profiles in Mild-to-Moderate Hypercholesterolemia: A Narrative Review

Reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels is a key target for lowering cardiovascular risk and preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Red yeast rice (RYR) is a nutraceutical widely used as a lipid-lowering dietary supplement. The main cholesterol-lowering components of RYR are monacolins, particularly monacolin K, which is structurally identical to lovastatin and targets the same key enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis. RYR supplementation reduces LDL-C levels by approximately 15-34% versus placebo, with a similar effect to low-dose, first-generation statins in subjects with mild-to-moderate dyslipidemia. RYR has also demonstrated beneficial reductions of up to 45% versus placebo in the risk of ASCVD events in secondary prevention studies. RYR at a dose that provides about 3 mg/d of monacolin K is well tolerated, with an adverse event profile similar to that of low-dose statins. RYR is therefore a treatment option for lowering LDL-C levels and ASCVD risk for people with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia who are ineligible for statin therapy, particularly those who are unable to implement lifestyle modifications, and also for people who are eligible for statin therapy but who are unwilling to take a pharmacologic therapy

Dietary interventions in blood pressure lowering: Current evidence in 2020

Dietary modification is one of the cornerstones in the treatment of arterial hypertension (AH). Current American and European guidelines recommend people to ingest fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products as well as to decrease the consumption of red meat, sugar, and trans fats. This review aimed to summarize available evidence on dietary patterns associated with lower blood pressure (BP). Research has shown that the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet can lower BP equally effectively or even more significantly than some antihypertensive drugs. The Mediterranean diet also leads to a considerable reduction in BP. Vegans and vegetarians have been shown to have a lower prevalence of AH than omnivores. Caloric restriction may decrease BP in normotensive, prehypertensive, and hypertensive populations. Blood pressure can also be lowered by certain nutraceuticals (such as beetroot juice, magnesium, vitamin C, catechin-rich beverages, or soy isoflavones). Diet effects on BP are mediated by body weight loss, amelioration of inflammation, increased insulin sensitivity, and antihypertensive properties of some individual nutrients. There is robust evidence that vegetarian and vegan diets have the ability to reduce BP. The presence of the so-called floor effect makes these diets usable in normo- and prehypertensive people at high risk of developing AH. However, the dietary and nutraceutical approach to BP lowering cannot substitute drug treatment when the latter is needed

Vitamin D supplementation and incident preeclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Background: Maternal vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk for preeclampsia. Despite this, the current evidence regarding the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in preventing preeclampsia is controversial. To assess the impact of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of preeclampsia, we performed a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis of the available randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Methods: The primary outcome was preeclampsia. Subgroup analyses were carried out considering the timing of the supplementation, type of intervention and the study design. Meta-regression analysis, including the amount of vitamin D and maternal age, were planned to explore heterogeneity (PROSPERO database registration number: CRD42019119207). Results: Data were pooled from 27 RCTs comprising 59 arms, which included overall 4777 participants, of whom 2487 were in the vitamin D-treated arm and 2290 in the control arm. Vitamin D administration in pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of preeclampsia (odd ratio [OR] 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26, 0.52; I2 = 0%). If the vitamin D supplementation was started up to 20 weeks' gestation, the odds was a little lower (OR 0.35, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.50, p < 0.001). The effect was largely independent of the supplementation cessation (until delivery or not), type of intervention (vitamin D alone or in association with calcium), and study design. Increasing dose of vitamin D was associated with reduced incidence of preeclampsia (slope of log OR: -1.1, 95% CI: -1.73, -0.46; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Results suggest that vitamin D supplementation may be useful in preventing preeclampsia. These data are especially useful for health-care providers who engage in the management of pregnant women at risk for preeclampsia. Our findings are a call for action to definitively address vitamin D supplementation as a possible intervention strategy in preventing preeclampsia in pregnancy

Circulating Levels of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 and Arterial Stiffness in a Large Population Sample: Data From the Brisighella Heart Study

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) circulating levels are significantly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between circulating levels of PCSK9 and arterial stiffness, an early instrumental biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk, in a large sample of overall healthy participants