Effects of Peanut Consumption on 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Endothelial Function in Older Adults: A Pilot Study

Abstract

It is crucial to analyze preventative measures for older adults to reduce mortality rates from cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications. Studies support that the implementation of nuts into one's diet may lead to better cardiovascular health. Peanuts are a great source of arginine, the main component used in creating the natural vasodilator, nitric oxide (NO). Studies have shown that hypertensive individuals have a higher risk for endothelial dysfunction. Studies also reveal that endothelial function measured through flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) tests improves after nut consumption. However, there is limited research on the effects of peanut consumption on 24-hour blood pressure (BP) and endothelial function in older adults. Using a randomized controlled design, this research focuses on the aging adult population and how peanut consumption affects 24-hour BP and endothelial function in older adults. In this ongoing randomized controlled trial, 46 males and females, 60-80 years old, were randomly assigned to consume 2 oz of peanuts daily (peanut group) or no peanuts/tree nuts (control group) for 12 weeks. 24-hour ambulatory BP, FMD, and PWV tests were assessed at baseline and after the 12 weeks intervention. The preliminary data showed evidence that there was a significant interaction effect of group and time after the 12-week intervention for aortic systolic BP and pulse pressure (PP) (p=0.098 and 0.011, respectively). Aortic systolic BP decreased by 6.6% in the peanut group and increased 1.9% in the control group. PP decreased 12.6% in the peanut group and increased 2.7% in the control group. PWV and FMD were not affected by the 12-week intervention. The ongoing nature of this study warrants a larger sample size to confirm these findings.