This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Researchers plan study of resveratrol on prediabetes in older adults
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The American Diabetes Association has given researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University $600,000 to study the effect of resveratrol, a chemical compound most notably found in red wine and grapes, on impaired glucose tolerance in older adults.
Those with prediabetes have a 50% increased risk for heart attack and stroke, according to the ADA. Results of the proposed study will provide critical information that is needed to plan and conduct more definitive studies of resveratrol in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
“Our earlier work in the area has given us reason to be hopeful,” Jill Crandall, MD, professor of clinical medicine and director of the Diabetes Clinical Trials Unit, said in a press release. “Given the easy availability, low cost and apparent safety of resveratrol supplementation, a positive finding could have an enormous impact on human health.”
The ADA grant will fund a 6-week double blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of 30 participants aged 50 to 80 years who have impaired glucose tolerance. Study participants will be given resveratrol supplements to explore the compound’s effects on post-meal blood glucose metabolism. Preliminary studies will also be conducted to explore how resveratrol works, by examining cellular function (in muscle samples obtained from study participants) and testing resveratrol’s effect on blood vessel function.
Diet alone is not an effective way to supply resveratrol in what is believed to be a therapeutic concentration; therefore, supplements are needed, the press release said. According to estimates, between 100 and 1,000 bottles of wine would need to be consumed per day to receive the levels shown to be therapeutic in mice.
Resveratrol has been shown to prolong lifespan, prevent cancer and heart disease, and normalize glucose metabolism in cells and animals. To date, there have been no rigorously controlled, peer-reviewed clinical studies of resveratrol in humans.
Disclosures: Dr. Crandall reports no relevant financial disclosures.
 |
Follow EndocrineToday.com on Twitter. |