Lycopene supplemention and vascular function

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Evidence from clinical trials, observational studies and in vitro studies suggest that the active carotenoid component in tomatoes - lycopene - may exert anti-atherogenic activity. Concerning possible implications for the human heart, it has been suggested that the anti-atherogenic activity of lycopene may play a role in vascular function and, in addition, the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In a recent double-blind, randomized, two-arm, prospective controlled study, the potential anti-atherogenic activity of lycopene was evaluated in vivo by monitoring forearm blood flow (FBF), arterial stiffness, blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac biomarkers.

The study screened ninety participants who had presented at the Clinical Pharmacology Unit: University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Gajendragadkar et al. (2014) sought to 1. Investigate to which extent oral lycopene supplementation predicts vasculature in patients with (or without evidence of) CVD and 2. To determine the impact of oral lycopene supplementation on efficacy (Gajendragadkar et al., 2014). The researchers proposed that treatment with 7 mg was effective in improving endothelial function in both CVD patients and healthy volunteers.

Only those patients with stable CVD and those individuals who were free of CVD and “active renal, respiratory, neurological or oncological disease” (Gajendragadkar et al., 2014) at baseline and have met all eligibility criteria were randomized. In all, 72 patients met eligibility criteria. Patients were divided into two separate yet parallel arms and later randomized 2:1 to receive either acetylcholine sodium nitroprusside or NG-monomethyl-L-arginine injections. Gajendragadkar et al. (2014) found that administration of lycopene was predictive of cardiac vasculature. Review of data suggest that administration of lycopene results in significant efficacy improvements. Lycopene supplementation of 7 mg improved blood flow and decreased peripheral and central diastolic BP. However this was only demonstrated in CVD patients.
Though further research is needed these findings can help dietitians
  1. Understand how lycopene supplementation can augment endothelial function,
  2. Understand the extent to which lycopene predicts vasculature in patients with CVD to those without CVD, and
  3. Understand the effects of lycopene intervention on systemic markers of inflammation, BP, and arterial stiffness, and markers of oxidative stress.
Gajendragadkar, P., Hubsch, A., Maki-Petaja, K., Serg, M., Wilkinson, I., & Cheriyan, J. (2014). Effects of oral lycopene supplementation on vascular function in patients with cardiovascular disease and healthy volunteers: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS ONE 9 (6), e99070.

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