Polyphenols – ABC CARDIOL

IJCS

Editorial

Chocolate Consumption: Benefits in Cardiovascular Disease

The major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are directly related to endothelial dysfunction, reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide, vasoconstriction, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Several studies have been stimulating the use of non-pharmacological strategies to reduce these risk factors. In this sense, some nutrients and bioactive compounds in foods have demonstrated beneficial effects. Chocolate, for example, has gained attention for its content of cocoa, a polyphenols-rich food, and flavanols.

In the paper entitled “Association between chocolate consumption and severity of first infarction”, Duarte et al., found that patients with the first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who consumed chocolate, showed a low Syntax index, indicating low complexity of coronary lesions. The authors also demonstrated a negative correlation between Syntax and the amount of chocolate consumed, and an association between chocolate consumption and absence of systemic arterial hypertension and diabetes. The cardioprotective effects of polyphenols present in chocolate have been studied, and a series of results supported the protective effects of cocoa and chocolate intake on CVDs. These protective effects are associated with vasodilation, improvement of endothelial function, platelet aggregation, increase in HDL and reduction in LDL levels.

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IJCS

Original Article

Association Between Chocolate Consumption and Severity of First Infarction

Heloyse Martins Duarte et al. Milena Christy Rocha de Oliveira Ramona Jung Roberto Léo da Silva … Tammuz Fatah Daniel Medeiros Moreira

Abstract

Background:

Cardiovascular diseases, such as acute myocardial infarction, are the main causes of death in the world. The flavonoids present in chocolate can have benefits for people who have risk factors to the development of cardiovascular diseases and have a coadjuvant effect on known therapies.

Objective:

To analyze the association between chocolate consumption, severity of coronary lesions, risk factors and severity of the first infarction in patients attended at the Cardiology Institute of Santa Catarina and other hospitals in the State of Santa Catarina.

Methods:

Subanalysis of the Catarina Heart Study cohort, evaluated 350 patients with first myocardial infarction. We evaluated clinical, echocardiographic, hemodynamic laboratorial variables. We used chi square test to evaluate qualitative variables, t student test in the case of parametric variables and U Mann Whitney test in non-parametric variables. We considered significant p < 0,05.

Results:

Lower prevalence of hypertension (43.2% % vs. 62.3% p = 0.003), diabetes mellitus (13.5% vs. 25.7%, p = 0.027) and smoking (24.3% vs. 37.7%, p = 0.032) among those who consume chocolate. Higher use of alcohol (40.5% vs. 26.4%, p = 0.018) and drugs (9.5% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.023) among those who consumed chocolate. Among the patients who consumed chocolate, there was a negative correlation between amount consumed and Syntax (r = -0.296, p = 0.019).

Conclusion:

There was association between chocolate consumption and lower prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and smoking. There was no association between amount of chocolate consumed and post-infarction ventricular function and TIMI frame count. Higher prevalence of alcohol and drug use among those who consume chocolate. Negative correlation between Syntax and the amount of chocolate consumed.