(P03-008-23) The Effect of Hokkaido Red Wines on Vascular Outcomes in Healthy Adult Men

Objectives: Moderate consumption of red wine is associated with reduced cardiovascular risk and mortality, which may be due, in part, to polyphenols. Bottle aging can result in different amounts of polyphenolic anthocyanins. This study explored the effects of Hokkaido Zweigelt red wines produced by the same winery in two different years on vascular function.

Methods: Healthy men, ages 50-70y, were enrolled into a 3-arm, dietary intervention trial in a crossover design. They randomly received either 240 mL of a Zweigelt red wine from the 2015 or 2018 vintages (total anthocyanins 90 or 294 mg/L, respectively), or a calorie-matched white grape juice control at least 7d apart. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) and microvascular function by peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) were assessed at baseline and two and four hours after the intake of each beverage. The reactive hyperemia index (RHI), Framingham RHI (fRHI), arterial stiffness, augmentation index (AI) and AI at 75 beats/min were calculated. 24-h dietary recalls were collected before each study visit. A linear mixed model was used to assess changes from baseline in vascular outcomes and BP, and a one-way ANOVA assessed reported differences in food intake.

Results: Ten men, mean age 58.6y with a mean BMI of 27.5 completed the study. Compared to the control beverage, the intake of both the 2015 or 2018 vintages significantly reduced AI by 13% (p < 0.0001) and AI75 by 11% (p < 0.0013). Intake of the 2018 vintage resulted in significantly lower SBP and DBP (4.1 and 5.6 mmHg respectively; p=0.018 for SBP and p= 0.019 for DBP) compared to the 2015 vintage or the control beverage. No significant differences were noted for RHI and fRHI. Dietary intake was not significantly different between intervention groups, but intakes of fats, iron and folate were significantly decreased from the first visit compared to subsequent visits.

Conclusions: A single intake of 2015 and 2018 Hokkaido Zweigelt red wines resulted in a significant reduction in arterial stiffness compared to a white grape juice control beverage. Only the intake of the 2018 vintage significantly lowered SBP and DBP. Future studies are warranted to explore differences in vascular function of red wines from different vintage years and polyphenolic profiles.

Funding Sources: UC Davis Global Affairs Seed Grant for International Activities (funding)
Hokkaido Wine Co. (for wine)