Higher habitual dietary flavonoid intake associates with lower central blood pressure and arterial stiffness in healthy older adults

Flavonoids have shown anti-hypertensive and anti-atherosclerotic properties: the impact of habitual flavonoid intake on vascular function, central hemodynamics and arterial stiffness may be important. We investigated the relationship between habitual flavonoid consumption and measures of central blood pressure and arterial stiffness. We performed cross-sectional analysis of 381 non-smoking healthy older adults (mean ± SD age, 66.0 ± 4.1 years; BMI, 26.4 ± 4.41 kg/m2; 41% male) recruited as part of the Australian Research Council Longevity Intervention (ARCLI) study. Flavonoid intake [i.e., flavonols, flavones, flavanones, anthocyanins, isoflavones, flavan-3-ol monomers, proanthocyanidins, theaflavins/thearubigins and total consumption] was estimated from food-frequency questionnaires using the US Department of Agriculture food composition databases. Measures of central hemodynamics and arterial stiffness included systolic blood pressure (cSBP), diastolic blood pressure (cDBP), mean arterial pressure (cMAP), and augmentation index (cAIx). After adjusting for demographic and lifestyle confounders, each standard deviation (SD)/day higher intake of anthocyanins (SD=44.3 mg/day) was associated with significantly lower cDBP (-1.56 mmHg, 95% CI: -2.65, -0.48) and cMAP (-1.62 mmHg, 95% CI: -2.82, -0.41). Similarly, each SD/day higher intake of flavanones (SD=19.5 mg/day) was associated with ˜1% lower cAIx (-0.93%, 95% CI: -1.77, -0.09). These associations remained significant after additional adjustment for 1) a dietary quality score and 2) other major nutrients that may affect blood pressure or arterial stiffness (i.e., sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, omega-3, total protein and fibre). This study suggests a possible benefit of dietary anthocyanin and flavanone intake on central hemodynamics and arterial stiffness; these findings require corroboration in further research.