Flavonols and Endothelial Injury

Increase of Endothelial Function of Arteria radialis

With increasing age, arterial endothelial cell function is impaired, which is associated with
 decreased regeneration response and increased intimal hyperplasia after endothelial injury.
 Dietary flavanols can reduce endothelial dysfunction acutely and chronically, but the exact
 mechanism is unknown. Recent studies suggest that flavanols may affect important endothelial
 regeneration response processes and possibly mediate long-term positive vascular effects. The
 aim of this study is to investigate age-dependent mechanisms of impaired endothelial
 regeneration and the influence of dietary flavanols on them. For this purpose, younger and
 old male patients, who are clinically indicated for elective transradial catheterization,
 will get periinterventional a test drink , which is rich on flavonols (800 mg flavanols
 daily), or control drink. Administration of drinks is randomized and double-blind. The test
 drinks should be given one week before the elective catheter examination until 1 week later.
 The endothelial regeneration is to be investigated as endothelium-dependent vasodilation
 non-invasively in the area of the puncture site on the forearm and by means of biomarkers in
 the blood. The endothelial function of the Arteria radialis will be measured with Flow
 Mediated Dilation (FMD) before and 24 h after catheterization. One month after
 catheterization patients undergo ultrasound examination of arteria radialis, to include
 structural vessel wall changes as intimal media thickness.