TABLE 3.
Changes in indices of vascular function, blood pressure, and heart rate variability following randomization to almond and control snacks1
| Control,2nmax = 51 | Almonds,2nmax = 54 | Main comparison between groups4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline3 | Change | Baseline3 | Change | ||
| Endothelium-dependent vasodilation | |||||
| FMD,5 % | 7.0 ± 4.8 | −0.8 (−2.1, 0.5) | 3.6 ± 3.9 | 3.3 (2.0, 4.5) | 4.1 (2.2, 5.9)6 |
| Prehyperemia brachial artery diameter, mm | 3.49 ± 0.58 | 0.00 (−0.09, 0.09) | 3.56 ± 0.48 | −0.01 (−0.09, 0.08) | −0.01 (−0.14, 0.11) |
| GTN, % | 14.8 ± 6.5 | −0.2 (−1.6, 1.3) | 12.6 ± 4.9 | 0.7 (−0.6, 2.0) | 0.9 (−1.1, 2.9) |
| Clinic blood pressure | |||||
| cSBP, mmHg | 127.8 ± 12.9 | −5.2 (−7.9, −2.6) | 127.3 ± 19.3 | −6.3 (−8.9, −3.7) | −1.0 (−4.7, 2.6) |
| cDBP, mmHg | 84.6 ± 7.9 | −3.2 (−5.1, −1.3) | 85.5 ± 10.6 | −3.5 (−5.3, −1.6) | 0.2 (−2.9, 2.4) |
| Ambulatory blood pressure | |||||
| 24-h SBP,5 mmHg | 122.7 ± 9.7 | 0.4 (−2.0, 2.8) | 128.0 ± 15.0 | −1.0 (−3.3, 1.3) | −1.4 (−4.8, 1.9) |
| 24-h DBP,5 mmHg | 74.1 ± 6.2 | −0.2 (−1.9, 1.5) | 77.6 ± 9.3 | −0.6 (−2.3, 1.0) | −0.4 (−2.8, 2.0) |
| 24-h pulse, beats/min | 71.9 ± 8.4 | −0.4 (−2.2, 1.4) | 72.6 ± 9.3 | −1.0 (−2.8, 0.7) | −0.7 (−3.2, 1.9) |
| Daytime SBP,5 mmHg | 126.1 ± 9.8 | −0.1 (−2.7, 2.6) | 132.6 ± 16.0 | −0.4 (−2.9, 2.2) | −0.3 (−4.1, 3.5) |
| Daytime DBP,5 mmHg | 76.2 ± 6.5 | 0.1 (−1.8, 2.1) | 80.9 ± 9.9 | −0.2 (−2.0, 1.7) | −0.3 (−3.1, 2.4) |
| Daytime pulse, beats/min | 74.5 ± 8.5 | 0.1 (−1.9, 2.1) | 75.3 ± 9.5 | −1.3 (−3.3, 0.6) | −1.1 (−4.2, 1.3) |
| Nighttime SBP, mmHg | 109.3 ± 11.9 | 1.2 (−1.9, 4.9) | 111.6 ± 15.3 | −1.0 (−4.3, 2.4) | −3.0 (−7.2, 1.3) |
| Nighttime DBP, mmHg | 64.6 ± 7.6 | −0.1 (−2.3, 2.0) | 65.6 ± 8.5 | −1.4 (−3.4, 0.6) | −1.3 (−4.2, 1.6) |
| Nighttime pulse, beats/min | 61.5 ± 8.1 | −0.8 (−2.7, 1.0) | 63.0 ± 9.7 | −0.2 (−1.9, 1.5) | 0.7(−1.8, 3.2) |
| Heart rate variability (24 h and nighttime) | |||||
| 24-h SDNN, ms | 148.8 ± 36.5 | −8.2 (−17.3, −0.9) | 142.2 ± 35.0 | −5.2 (−14.9, 4.5) | 3.0 (−10.3, 16.4) |
| 24-h rMSSD, ms | 28.5 ± 8.9 | 1.9 (−0.6, 4.3) | 30.5 ± 9.8 | 0.6 (−2.1, 3.2) | −1.3 (−4.9, 2.3) |
| Nighttime SDANN, ms | 64.1 ± 22.3 | −0.8 (−8.3, 6.8) | 66.5 ± 33.0 | 1.0 (−6.4, 8.4) | 1.8 (−8.8, 12.3) |
| Nighttime rMSSD, ms | 31.3 (20.9) | 1.9 (−1.3, 5.0) | 33.9 (17.4) | −1.1 (−4.1, 1.9) | −3.0 (−7.3, 1.4) |
| Nighttime VLF, ms2 | 1664 (2720) | −293 (−523, −62) | 1595 (1387) | 44 (−182, 270) | 337 (12, 661)7 |
| Nighttime HF, ms2 | 311.5 (545.3) | 0.7 (−84.1, 85.6) | 356 (331) | −0.2 (−83.3, 82.8) | −10.0 (−120.0, 118.1) |
1Values of change and main comparisons of changes between groups are presented as mean (95% CI) generated from estimated marginal means from ANCOVA.
Not all data were analyzed due to poor-quality read-outs. FMD and prehyperemia brachial artery diameter: n = 42 (control) and 47 (almond). GTN: n = 32 (control) and 41 (almond). 24-h SBP, 24-h DBP, 24-h pulse, daytime SBP, DBP, and pulse: n = 45 (control) and 49 (almond). Nighttime SBP, DBP, and pulse: n = 40 (control) and 46 (almond). 24-h SDNN and 24-h rMSSD: n = 33 (control) and 29 (almond). Nighttime SDANN: n = 45 (control) and 47 (almond). Nighttime rMSSD: n = 45 (control) and 50 (almond). Nighttime VLF and sleep-time HF: n = 45 (control) and 47 (almond). Nighttime SDANN: n = 45 (control) and 47 (almond).
Median (IQR) for nighttime rMSSD, VLF, and HF data because they are nonnormally distributed. Mean ± SD for other data that are normally distributed.
ANCOVA, adjusted for baseline outcome value and baseline BMI (mean difference in the change from baseline, almonds minus control). ANCOVA assumptions were met.
Baseline value was different between control and almond group; independent t test was used, P < 0.05 indicated a significant difference.
P < 0.00005.
P < 0.05. cDBP, clinic diastolic blood pressure; cSBP, clinic systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; FMD, flow-mediated dilation; GTN, glycerol trinitrate; HF, absolute power of the high-frequency band (0.15–0.04 Hz); rMSSD, root mean square of successive R-R interval differences; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SDANN, standard deviation of the average NN intervals for each 5-min segment of heart rate variability recording; SDNN, standard deviation of normal-to-normal (NN) intervals; VLF, absolute power of the very-low-frequency band (0.0033–0.04 Hz).