Impact of Sex in the Effect of Dietary Capsaicin on Cardiovascular Health

The goal of the proposed research was to investigate whether there is sex- or race-specificity in the effects of dietary capsaicin on mechanisms regulating nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, its effect on key markers of cardiovascular health, including BP, macro- and microvascular function, and arterial stiffness. Accordingly, we pursued the following related, but not contingent, aims: Specific Aim 1: Determine the sex- and race-specific effects of dietary capsaicin on central and peripheral blood pressure and arterial stiffness. We hypothesized that dietary capsaicin intervention (6 week) will improve BP and arterial stiffness, likely in a sex-dependent manner. We will measure heart rate variability and excretion of capsaicin and metabolites to ascertain bioavailability, and understand the mechanistic role of the autonomic nervous system, in capsaicin’s effect on BP. Specific Aim 2: Assessed whether dietary capsaicin effects on vascular function was sex-specific. We hypothesize that dietary capsaicin intervention (6 week) will improve NO bioavailability, through improved redox balance and lowered asymmetric dimethylarginine, thereby improving peripheral vascular function, likely in a sex-dependent manner. We used a randomized placebo controlled trial to understand the effects of 6-weeks of dietary capsaicin supplementation on measures of cardiovascular health. We recruited 72 relatively healthy, non-smoking men and women. Data include: anthropometrics, blood pressure (central and peripheral), arterial stiffness, vascular function, lipid panel, heart rate and heart rate variability.