Long-Term Caloric Restriction Ameliorates the Decline in Diastolic Function in Humans

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Cardiology Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 398 - 402
• Main Authors: Meyer, Timothy E., Kovács, Sándor J., Ehsani, Ali A., Klein, Samuel, Holloszy, John O., Fontana, Luigi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 17.01.2006; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Aging - physiology; Body fat; Body mass index; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Caloric Restriction; Carbohydrates; Cardiology; Cardiovascular; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diastole - physiology; Drug therapy; Echocardiography, Doppler; Female; Flow velocity; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition research; Older people; Proteins; Rodents; Standard deviation; Studies; Systole - physiology; Transforming Growth Factor beta - analysis; Transforming Growth Factor beta1; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - analysis; United States > US; Massachusetts; CRP; DF; SF; TNF-α; MBIP; TDI; TGF-β1; LV; WD; BMI; CR; caloric restriction; C-reactive protein; body mass index; tissue Doppler imaging; transforming growth factor-beta 1; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; model-based image processing; diastolic function; systolic function; TGF-β 1; left ventricle/ventricular; Western diet
• ISSN: 0735-1097; 1558-3597; 1558-3597
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2005.08.069

Long-Term Caloric Restriction Ameliorates the Decline in Diastolic Function in Humans Timothy E. Meyer, Sándor J. Kovács, Ali A. Ehsani, Samuel Klein, John O. Holloszy, Luigi Fontana No information is available on the effects of long-term caloric restriction (CR) on human aging. Left ventricular diastolic function (DF) becomes impaired during aging, with little change in systolic function (SF). Diastolic function was assessed in 25 CR subjects and 25 age- and gender-matched control subjects. Diastolic function was quantified by echocardiography and model-based image processing. Serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-beta1(TGF-β1) were also measured. No difference in SF was observed, although DF indexes were significantly better in the CR group. Moreover, blood pressure, CRP, TNF-α, and TGF-β1concentrations were significantly lower in the CR group. Caloric restriction has cardiac-specific effects that ameliorate aging-associated changes in DF. We determined whether caloric restriction (CR) has cardiac-specific effects that attenuate the established aging-associated impairments in diastolic function (DF). Caloric restriction retards the aging process in small mammals; however, no information is available on the effects of long-term CR on human aging. In healthy individuals, Doppler echocardiography has established the pattern of aging-associated DF impairment, whereas little change is observed in systolic function (SF). Diastolic function was assessed in 25 subjects (age 53 ± 12 years) practicing CR for 6.5 ± 4.6 years and 25 age- and gender-matched control subjects consuming Western diets. Diastolic function was quantified by transmitral flow, Doppler tissue imaging, and model-based image processing (MBIP) of E waves. C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-beta1(TGF-β1) were also measured. No difference in SF was observed between groups; however, standard transmitral Doppler flow DF indexes of the CR group were similar to those of younger individuals, and MBIP-based, flow-derived DF indexes, reflecting chamber viscoelasticity and stiffness, were significantly lower than in control subjects. Blood pressure, serum CRP, TNF-α, and TGF-β1levels were significantly lower in the CR group (102 ± 10/61 ± 7 mm Hg, 0.3 ± 0.3 mg/l, 0.8 ± 0.5 pg/ml, 29.4 ± 6.9 ng/ml, respectively) compared with the Western diet group (131 ± 11/83 ± 6 mm Hg, 1.9 ± 2.8 mg/l, 1.5 ± 1.0 pg/ml, 35.4 ± 7.1 ng/ml, respectively). Caloric restriction has cardiac-specific effects that ameliorate aging-associated changes in DF. These beneficial effects on cardiac function might be mediated by the effect of CR on blood pressure, systemic inflammation, and myocardial fibrosis.