Resistance training and reduction of treatment side effects in prostate cancer patients

Purpose: To examine the effect of progressive resistance training on muscle function, functional performance, balance, body composition, and muscle thickness in men receiving androgen deprivation for prostate cancer. Methods: Ten men aged 59-82 yr on androgen deprivation for localized prostate cancer undertook progressive resistance training for 20 wk at 6- to 12-repetition maximum (RM) for 12 upper- and lower-body exercises in a university exercise rehabilitation clinic. Outcome measures included muscle strength and muscle endurance for the upper and lower body, functional performance (repeated chair rise, usual and fast 6-m walk, 6-m backwards walk, stair climb, and 400-m walk time), and balance by sensory organization test. Body composition was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and muscle thickness at four anatomical sites by B-mode ultrasound. Blood samples were assessed for prostate specific antigen (PSA), testosterone, growth hormone (GH), cortisol, and hemoglobin. Results: Muscle strength (chest press, 40.5%; seated row, 41.9%; leg press, 96.3%; P < 0.001) and muscle endurance (chest press, 114.9%; leg press, 167.1%; P < 0.001) increased significantly after training. Significant improvement (P < 0.05) occurred in the 6-m usual walk (14.1%), 6-m backwards walk (22.3%), chair rise (26.8%), stair climbing (10.4%), 400-m walk (7.4%), and balance (7.8%). Muscle thickness increased (P < 0.05) by 15.7% at the quadriceps site. Whole-body lean mass was preserved with no change in fat mass. There were no significant changes in PSA, testosterone, GH, cortisol, or hemoglobin. Conclusions: Progressive resistance exercise has beneficial effects on muscle strength, functional performance and balance in older men receiving androgen deprivation for prostate cancer and should be considered to preserve body composition and reduce treatment side effects.

Avaliação multidimensional da qualidade de vida em idosos: um estudo no Curimataú ocidental paraibano

The fast growth of the elderly population is a reality throughout the world and has become one of the greatest challenges for contemporary public health. When considering the increased life expectancy and the aging as a multidimensional phenomenon, one should highlight the need to investigate if the increase of longevity is associated with satisfactory levels of Quality of Life (QOL). This study has the objective of assessing the QOL of elderly people from the Paraíba’s Western Curimataú microregion, explained by its health and living conditions. This is a cross-sectional and observational study with quantitative design held with 444 elderly people from five cities: Barra de Santa Rosa, Cuité, Nova Floresta, Remígio e Sossego. In order to obtain information, the following instruments were used: I) Questionnaire for collection data related to the elderly population, for sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics; and II) WHOQOL-Old questionnaire, with a view to measuring and assessing QOL. Data were processed on the IBM-SPSS Statistics 20.0 software by means of the ANOVA (one-way), Student’s t, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson’s correlation tests, with p-values<0,05 accepted as being statistically significant. The results indicate a good global QOL (ETT=65,69%), with better assessment by elderly men, aged between 60 and 74 years, married, living with partner and children, without caregiver, physical activity practitioners, with up to one health problem before an aspect of multimorbidity and with very good and/or good assessment of basic needs. The self-reported stress showed a negative significant correlation before the global QOL, where the greater the perception of stress, the worse the assessment of QOL. In the faceted assessment of QOL, the Sensory Operation showed the best performance (ETF= 68,86%) and the Social Participation (SP) the worst (ETF=60,37%). In the multiple linear regression model, SP is singly responsible for 51,8% (R2=0,518) of explanation of the global QOL. In the intercorrelation among the WHOQOL-Old facets, only Death and Dying did not reveal significance. The harmony highlighted among the facets raises the need to ensure a comprehensive health care for the elderly population, especially in understanding the social participation as an intrinsic part of the QOL and that it requires the re-discussion and reconstruction of individual and collective, family and community, political and government actions. Hence, guaranteeing an active, healthy and participatory aging, with QOL, is the major challenge.

Avaliação multidimensional da qualidade de vida em idosos: um estudo no Curimataú ocidental paraibano

The fast growth of the elderly population is a reality throughout the world and has become one of the greatest challenges for contemporary public health. When considering the increased life expectancy and the aging as a multidimensional phenomenon, one should highlight the need to investigate if the increase of longevity is associated with satisfactory levels of Quality of Life (QOL). This study has the objective of assessing the QOL of elderly people from the Paraíba’s Western Curimataú microregion, explained by its health and living conditions. This is a cross-sectional and observational study with quantitative design held with 444 elderly people from five cities: Barra de Santa Rosa, Cuité, Nova Floresta, Remígio e Sossego. In order to obtain information, the following instruments were used: I) Questionnaire for collection data related to the elderly population, for sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics; and II) WHOQOL-Old questionnaire, with a view to measuring and assessing QOL. Data were processed on the IBM-SPSS Statistics 20.0 software by means of the ANOVA (one-way), Student’s t, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson’s correlation tests, with p-values<0,05 accepted as being statistically significant. The results indicate a good global QOL (ETT=65,69%), with better assessment by elderly men, aged between 60 and 74 years, married, living with partner and children, without caregiver, physical activity practitioners, with up to one health problem before an aspect of multimorbidity and with very good and/or good assessment of basic needs. The self-reported stress showed a negative significant correlation before the global QOL, where the greater the perception of stress, the worse the assessment of QOL. In the faceted assessment of QOL, the Sensory Operation showed the best performance (ETF= 68,86%) and the Social Participation (SP) the worst (ETF=60,37%). In the multiple linear regression model, SP is singly responsible for 51,8% (R2=0,518) of explanation of the global QOL. In the intercorrelation among the WHOQOL-Old facets, only Death and Dying did not reveal significance. The harmony highlighted among the facets raises the need to ensure a comprehensive health care for the elderly population, especially in understanding the social participation as an intrinsic part of the QOL and that it requires the re-discussion and reconstruction of individual and collective, family and community, political and government actions. Hence, guaranteeing an active, healthy and participatory aging, with QOL, is the major challenge.

JNK regulates Fas receptor mediated apoptosis in prostate cancer cell lines

Prostate Cancer is a disease that primarily affects elderly men. The incidence of prostate cancer has been progressively increasing in the western world over the last two decades. Life expectancy and diet are believed to be the main factors contributing to this increase in prevalence. Prostate cancer is a slowly progressing disorder and patients often live for over 10 years after initially being diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer have a poor prognosis and generally do not survive for longer than 2 or 3 years. Hormone refractory prostate cancer is responsible for over 200,000 deaths each year and current chemotherapeutic regimens are only useful as palliative agents. The long-term survival rate is poor and chemotherapy does not significantly increase this. Cell lines derived from hormone refractory tumours usually display elevated resistance to many cytotoxic drugs. The Fas receptor is a membrane bound protein capable of binding to a ligand called Fas ligand. Engagement of Fas receptor with Fas ligand results in clustering of Fas receptor on the plasma membrane of cells. A number of proteins responsible for initiating apoptosis are recruited to the plasma membrane and are activated in response to elevated local concentrations. This series of events initiates a proteolysis cascade and that culminates in the degradation of structural and enzymatic processes and the repackaging of cellular constituents within membrane bound vesicles that can be endocytosed and recycled by surrounding phagocytic cells. The Fas receptor is believed to be a key mechanism by which immune cells can destroy damaged cells. Consequently, resistance to Fas receptor mediated apoptosis often correlates with tumour progression. It has been reported that prostate cancer cell lines display elevated resistance to Fas receptor mediated apoptosis and this correlates with the stage of tumour from which the cell lines were isolated. JNK, a stress-activated protein kinase, has been implicated both with increased survival and increased apoptosis in prostate cancer. Elevated endogenous JNK activity has been demonstrated to correlate with prostate cancer progression. It has been shown that endogenous JNK activity increases the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins and can increase the resistance of prostate cancer cell lines to chemotherapy. In addition, elevated endogenous JNK activity is required for improved proliferation and transformation of a number of epithelial tumours. However, prolonged JNK activation in response to cytotoxic stimuli can increase the sensitivity of cells to apoptosis. Prolonged JNK activity appears to induce the expression of a separate set of genes responsible for promoting apoptosis. Our group has recently shown that activation of JNK by chemotherapeutic drugs can sensitise DU 145 prostate carcinoma cells to Fas receptor mediated apoptosis. In order toidentify novel targets for treating hormone refractory prostate cancer we have investigated the role of JNK in Fas receptor mediated apoptosis. We have demonstrated that prolonged JNK activation is defective in DU 145 cells in response to Fas receptor activation alone. Co-administering anisomycin, a JNK agonist, greatly enhances the ability of DU 145 cells to undergo apoptosis by increasing the rate of Caspase 8 cleavage. We also investigated the role of endogenous JNK activity in Fas receptor mediated.

Effect of insulin resistance on monounsaturated fatty acid levels : a multi-cohort non-targeted metabolomics and mendelian randomization study

Insulin resistance (IR) and impaired insulin secretion contribute to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Both are associated with changes in the circulating metabolome, but causal directions have been difficult to disentangle. We combined untargeted plasma metabolomics by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry in three non-diabetic cohorts with Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis to obtain new insights into early metabolic alterations in IR and impaired insulin secretion. In up to 910 elderly men we found associations of 52 metabolites with hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp-measured IR and/or β-cell responsiveness (disposition index) during an oral glucose tolerance test. These implicated bile acid, glycerophospholipid and caffeine metabolism for IR and fatty acid biosynthesis for impaired insulin secretion. In MR analysis in two separate cohorts (n = 2,613) followed by replication in three independent studies profiled on different metabolomics platforms (n = 7,824 / 8,961 / 8,330), we discovered and replicated causal effects of IR on lower levels of palmitoleic acid and oleic acid. A trend for a causal effect of IR on higher levels of tyrosine reached significance only in meta-analysis. In one of the largest studies combining "gold standard" measures for insulin responsiveness with non-targeted metabolomics, we found distinct metabolic profiles related to IR or impaired insulin secretion. We speculate that the causal effects on monounsaturated fatty acid levels could explain parts of the raised cardiovascular disease risk in IR that is independent of diabetes development.

Hallazgos ecográficos en la estenosis uretral y su correlación con endoscopia y uretrografía

"Con la implementación estandarizada de la ecografía uretral se pretende tener un efecto directo en el diagnóstico oportuno, no invasivo y sin complicaciones inherentes a la instrumentación del tracto urinario bajo en los pacientes que padecen de estenosis uretral; que finalmente redundará en disminución de costos a corto y largo plazo gracias a la eliminación de estudios innecesarios y procedimientos terapéuticos infructuosos, beneficiando al paciente y al sistema de salud vigente en nuestro medio. Los sujetos con estenosis uretrales complejas podrían ser diagnosticados de manera rápida, sencilla y minimamente invasiva sin importar la localización de la anomalía y su complejidad". (Extracto de la introducción)

Resting metabolic rate and protein turnover in apparently healthy elderly Gambian men.

Body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), and whole body protein metabolism were studied in 26 young and 28 elderly Gambian men matched for body mass index during the dry season in a rural village in The Gambia. REE was measured by indirect calorimetry (hood system) in the fasting state and after five successive meals. Rates of whole body nitrogen flux, protein synthesis, and protein breakdown were determined in the fed state from the level of isotopic enrichment of urinary ammonia over a period of 12 h after a single oral dose of [15N]glycine. Expressed in absolute value, REE was significantly lower in the elderly compared with the young group (3.21 +/- 0.07 vs. 4.04 +/- 0.07 kJ/min, P < 0.001) and when adjusted to body weight (3.29 +/- 0.05 vs. 3.96 +/- 0.05 kJ/min, P < 0.0001) and fat-free mass (FFM; 3.38 +/- 0.01 vs. 3.87 +/- 0.01 kJ/min, P < 0.0001). The rate of protein synthesis averaged 207 +/- 13 g protein/day in the elderly and 230 +/- 13 g protein/day in the young group, whereas protein breakdown averaged 184 +/- 13 g protein/day in the elderly and 203 +/- 13 g protein/day in the young group (nonsignificant). When values were adjusted for body weight or FFM, they did not reveal any difference between the two groups. It is concluded that the reduced REE adjusted for body composition observed in elderly Gambian men is not explained by a decrease in protein turnover.

Oral health behaviour, conditions and care among dentate elderly patients in Lithuania: preventive aspects

The present cross-sectional study aimed to assess oral health behaviour, dental and periodontal conditions, dental care, and their relationships among elderly dentate patients in Lithuania. The target population in the study were dentate patients aged 60 and older attending public dental services in Kedainiai, Lithuania. The data collection took place between the autumn of 1999 and the winter of 2001. Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire for all (n=174) and a clinical examination targeting about half of the subjects (n=100). The questionnaire inquired about oral health behaviour, the life-first and also the most recent dental treatments, sources on and self-assessed knowledge of oral self-care, a self-reported number of teeth, and socio-demographic information. The clinical examination included basic dental and periodontal conditions. A total of 82 women and 92 men completed the questionnaire; their mean age was 69.2 and their average number of teeth was 16.2 (CI 95% 15.4-17.1). In all, 25% had 21 or more teeth and 32% indicated wearing removable dentures. The oral health behaviour, the participants reported, was poor: 30% reported twice daily toothbrushing, 57% responded that they always use fluoride toothpaste, 19% indicated daily interdental cleaning, nearly all said they take sugar in their coffee and tea, and 30% indicated going for check-ups. As the main source of information on oral self-care, the subjects indicated health professionals (82%), followed by social contacts (72%), broadcasted media (58%), and printed media (42%). A total of 34% assessed their knowledge of oral self-care as good, and their self-assessed knowledge correlated (r=0.52) with professional guidance they had received about oral self-care. In their most recent treatment, conservative (39%) and non-conservative (34%) treatments dominated, and preventive ones were the least reported (7%). Regarding guidance in oral self-care, 54% reported having received such about toothbrushing, 32% about interdental cleaning, and 33% had been given visual information. Clinical examinations revealed the presence of plaque, calculus, bleeding on probing and deepened pockets in all of the subjects; 70% of the subjects were diagnosed with pockets of 6mm and deeper, 94% with caries, and 73% with overhangs of restorations. Those subjects assessing their knowledge of oral self-care as good and reporting a higher intensity of guidance in oral self-care as received, indicated practicing the recommended oral self-care more frequently. Twice daily toothbrushing was associated with good self-assessed knowledge of oral self-care (OR 4.1, p<0.001) and a university education (OR 5.6, p<0.001). Those subjects with better oral health behaviour had a greater number of teeth. Having 21 or more teeth was associated with good self-assessed knowledge of oral self-care (OR 4.1, p=0.03). Better periodontal conditions were associated with a higher frequency of toothbrushing. The presence of periodontal pockets of 6mm and deeper was associated with the level of self-assessed knowledge of oral self-care being below good (OR=3.0, p=0.04) and the level of dental cleanliness being poor (OR=2.7, p=0.02). To conclude, oral health behaviour and conditions call for improvement in elderly subjects in Lithuania. To improve the oral health of their elderly dentate patients, dentists should apply all the available tools of chair-side prevention and active guidance. The latter would be an effective means of updating the knowledge of oral self-care and supporting recommended oral health behaviour. A preventive approach should be strongly emphasized in countries with limited resources for oral health care, such as Lithuania. Author’s address: Sonata Vyšniauskaite, Department of Oral Public Health, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, P.O.Box 41, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland. E-mail: sonata.vysniauskaite@helsinki.fi

Health status of an elderly population in Sharpeville, South Africa

The objective of this cross-sectional study was a comprehensive nutrition and health assessment to provide a basis for future intervention strategies for an elderly population attending a day-care centre. Socio-demographic, health and 24-hour recall dietary intake questionnaires were administered and anthropometric and biochemical measurements taken. The results indicate that the majority of respondents had an income of between R501 and R1 000 (South African rand) per month and most of them reported an occasional lack of funds to meet basic household needs, confirming the presence of food insecurity. Daily dietary intakes (mean [+ or -] Standard Deviation [SD]) of the women were 5 395 [+ or -] 2 946 kJ energy, 47 [+ or -] 27 g protein, 28 [+ or -] 21 g fat and 196 [+ or -] 123 g carbohydrates compared to 8 641 [+ or -] 3 799 kJ, 86 [+ or -] 48 g, 49 [+ or -] 32 g and 301 [+ or -] 139 g of the men, respectively. The majority (83.6%) of the women were overweight (body mass index [BMI] [greater than or equal to] 25) or obese (BMI [greater than or equal to] 30) whilst 78% had a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) of [greater than or equal to] 21.7 cm. Mean intakes of micronutrients were low in comparison to reference standards and serum zinc levels were suboptimal. Obesity, hypertension and raised total serum cholesterol levels indicated an increased risk for coronary heart disease. It can be concluded that a low income, household food insecurity and risk factors associated with malnutrition and non-communicable diseases were prevalent in this elderly population. OPSOMMING Die doelwit van hierdie dwarssnitstudie was ‘n omvattende bepaling van voeding- en gesondheidstatus om as basis te dien vir toekomstige intervensiestrategieë vir ’n groep bejaardes wat ’n dagsentrum besoek. Sosiodemografiese, gesondheid- en 24-uur herroep-dieetinname vraelyste is voltooi en antropometriese en biochemiese metings is geneem. Die resultate het bevestig dat die meerderheid respondente ‘n maandelikse inkomste van tussen R501 en R1 000 (Suid-Afrikaanse rand) gehad het. Die meeste het ‘n geldtekort vir basiese huishoudelike behoeftes gerapporteer wat dui op huishoudelike voedselinsekuriteit. Daaglikse dieetinnames (gemiddeld±standaardafwyking [SA]) van die vroue was onderskeidelik 5 395±2 946 kJ energie, 47±27 g proteïen, 28±21 g vet en 196±123 g koolhidrate in vergelyking met 8 641±3 799 kJ, 86±48 g, 49±32 g en 301±139 g vir die mans. Die meerderheid (83.6%) van die vroue was oorgewig (liggaamsmassa-indeks [LMI] >25) of vetsugtig (LMI > 30) en 78% het ’n middel-bo-armomtrek (MUAC) van > 21.7 cm gehad. Gemiddelde mikronutriëntinnames was laag in vergelyking met die verwysingstandaarde en serumsink was suboptimaal. Vetsug, hipertensie en verhoogde totale serumcholesterolvlakke het op ‘n verhoogde risiko van kardiovaskulêre siekte gedui. Die resultate het dus bewys dat lae inkomste, huishoudelike voedselinsekuriteit en die risikofaktore wat met wanvoeding en leefstylsiektes geassosieer word, teenwoordig was.

WHO guidelines for a healthy diet and mortality from cardiovascular disease in European and American elderly: the CHANCES project

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents a leading cause of mortality worldwide, especially in the elderly. Lowering the number of CVD deaths requires preventive strategies targeted on the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to generate evidence on the association between WHO dietary recommendations and mortality from CVD, coronary artery disease (CAD), and stroke in the elderly aged ≥60 y.

DESIGN: We analyzed data from 10 prospective cohort studies from Europe and the United States comprising a total sample of 281,874 men and women free from chronic diseases at baseline. Components of the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) included saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, mono- and disaccharides, protein, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and fruit and vegetables. Cohort-specific HRs adjusted for sex, education, smoking, physical activity, and energy and alcohol intakes were pooled by using a random-effects model.

RESULTS: During 3,322,768 person-years of follow-up, 12,492 people died of CVD. An increase of 10 HDI points (complete adherence to an additional WHO guideline) was, on average, not associated with CVD mortality (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.86, 1.03), CAD mortality (HR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.85, 1.14), or stroke mortality (HR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.03). However, after stratification of the data by geographic region, adherence to the HDI was associated with reduced CVD mortality in the southern European cohorts (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.96; I(2) = 0%) and in the US cohort (HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.87; I(2) = not applicable).

CONCLUSION: Overall, greater adherence to the WHO dietary guidelines was not significantly associated with CVD mortality, but the results varied across regions. Clear inverse associations were observed in elderly populations in southern Europe and the United States.

Familial aggregation of hyperopia in an elderly population of siblings in Salisbury, Maryland.

PURPOSE: To determine whether hyperopia aggregates in families in an older mixed-race population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional familial aggregation study using sibships. METHODS: We recruited 759 subjects (mean age, 73.4 years) in 241 families through the population-based Salisbury Eye Evaluation study. Subjects underwent noncycloplegic refraction if best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was <or=20/40, had lensometry to measure their currently worn spectacles if BCVA was >20/40 with spectacles, or were considered to be plano (refraction of zero) if the BCVA was >20/40 without spectacles. Preoperative refraction from medical records was used for bilaterally pseudophakic subjects. RESULTS: Utilizing hyperopia cutoffs from 1.00 to 2.50 diopters, age-, race-, and gender-adjusted odds ratios for hyperopia with an affected sibling ranged from 2.72 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.84-4.01) to 4.87 (95% CI, 2.54-9.30). The odds of hyperopia increased with age until 75 years, after which they remained relatively constant. Black men were significantly less likely to be hyperopic than white men, white women, or black women. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperopia appears to be under strong genetic control in this older population.

Prevention of falls in the elderly in the home: promoting active ageing

Objective: To determine the frequency of falls and identify risk factors in the homes of the elderly under the Home Care Service of a village in Alentejo (Portugal). Method: Exploratory, descriptive study. The target group were elderly persons under the Home Care Service (23). The questionnaire consists of open and closed questions, and was based on the Jefferson Area Board for Aging Safety in the Home Assessment; Instrument to Assess the Risk of Falls and Adaptations to Prevent Falls at Home. Results: Of the 23 seniors, 13 were men; the mean age was 85; 10 widowers; 11 live alone; 12 cannot read or write; 17 have experienced falls, loss of balance being the main cause. They report changes in vision (21), hearing (14) and rheumatic diseases (14); hypertension (19); they use 4 or more drugs on a daily basis (16). Conclusion: The physiological changes associated with ageing may increase the risk of falls. Due to the consequences, it is a priority field in community intervention.

Prevention of falls in the elderly in the home: promoting active ageing

To determine the frequency of falls and identify risk factors in the homes of the elderly under the Home Care Service of a village in Alentejo (Portugal). Method: Exploratory, descriptive study. The target group were elderly persons under the Home Care Service (23). The questionnaire consists of open and closed questions, and was based on the Jefferson Area Board for Aging Safety in the Home Assessment; Instrument to Assess the Risk of Falls and Adaptations to Prevent Falls at Home. Results: Of the 23 seniors, 13 were men; the mean age was 85; 10 widowers; 11 live alone; 12 cannot read or write; 17 have experienced falls, loss of balance being the main cause. They report changes in vision (21), hearing (14) and rheumatic diseases (14); hypertension (19); they use 4 or more drugs on a daily basis (16). Conclusion: The physiological changes associated with ageing may increase the risk of falls. Due to the consequences, it is a priority field in community intervention.

Santé et besoins en soins des personnes âgées: différences liées au genre [Health status and care giving needs in the elderly: gender related differences].

The health status and need for care differ depending on the gender. The most notable differences are life expectancy, life expectancy in good health and the prevalence of geriatric syndromes or chronic illnesses. Some social health determinants (social isolation or financial precariousness) seem to act as risk factors for vulnerability, mostly amongst old or very old women. Through some examples of differences between men and women in terms of health and caregiving needs, this article tries to heighten the awareness of health professionals to a gender based approach of the elderly patient in order to promote the best possible equity in healthcare.

Impact of cocoa flavanol intake on age-dependent vascular stiffness in healthy men: a randomized, controlled, double-masked trial

Increased vascular stiffness, endothelial dysfunction, and isolated systolic hypertension are hallmarks of vascular aging. Regular cocoa flavanol (CF) intake can improve vascular function in healthy young and elderly at-risk individuals. However, the mechanisms underlying CF bioactivity remain largely unknown. We investigated the effects of CF intake on cardiovascular function in healthy young and elderly individuals without history, signs, or symptoms of cardiovascular disease by applying particular focus on functional endpoints relevant to cardiovascular aging. In a randomized, controlled, double-masked, parallel-group dietary intervention trial, 22 young (<35yrs) and 20 elderly (50-80yrs) healthy, male non- smokers consumed either a CF-containing drink (450mg CF) or nutrient-matched, CF-free control drink bi-daily for 14 days. The primary endpoint was endothelial function as measured by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD). Secondary endpoints included cardiac output, vascular stiffness, conductance of conduit and resistance arteries, and perfusion in the microcirculation. Following 2 weeks of CF intake, FMD improved in young (6.1±0.7% vs. 7.6±0.7%, p<0.001) and elderly (4.9±0.6% vs. 6.3±0.9%, p<0.001). Secondary outcomes demonstrated in both groups that CF intake decreased pulse wave velocity and lowered total peripheral resistance, increased arteriolar- and microvascular vasodilator capacity, red cell deformability, and diastolic blood pressure, while cardiac output remained affected. In the elderly, baseline systolic blood pressure was elevated, driven by an arterial stiffness-related augmentation. CF intake decreased aortic augmentation index (-9%), and thus systolic blood pressure (-7mmHg). (Clinicaltrials.gov:NCT01639781) CF intake reverses age-related burden of cardiovascular risk in healthy elderly, highlighting the potential of dietary flavanols to maintain cardiovascular health.