Bottom Line: The antioxidant resveratrol found in red wine, chocolate and grapes was not associated with longevity or the incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and inflammation.
Author: Richard D. Semba, M.D., M.P.H., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md., and colleagues.
Background: The "French Paradox" of a low incidence of coronary heart disease despite a diet high in cholesterol and saturated fat in France has been attributed to the regular intake of red wine, in particular, to resveratrol and other polyphenols contained in wine. Some preliminary evidence also suggests that resveratrol may have anti-inflammatory effects, prevent cancer, and decrease blood vessel stiffness.
How the Study Was Conducted: The participants (a sample of 783 men and women 65 years or older) were part of the Aging in the Chianti Region study from 1998 to 2009 in two Italian villages. The authors sought to determine if resveratrol levels achieved through diet were associated with inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and death. Levels were measured using 24 hour urine collections to look for breakdown products of resveratrol.
Results: During nine years of follow-up, 268 participants (34.3 percent) died; of the 639 participants free of cardiovascular disease at enrollment, 174 (27.2 percent) developed cardiovascular disease during the follow-up; and of the 734 participants who were free of cancer at enrollment, 34 (4.6 percent) developed cancer during the follow-up. Urine resveratrol metabolite levels were not associated with death, inflammation, cardiovascular disease or cancer.
Discussion: "In conclusion, this prospective study of nearly 800 older community-dwelling adults shows no association between urinary resveratrol metabolites and longevity. This study suggests that dietary resveratrol from Western diets in community-dwelling older adults does not have a substantial influence on inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cancer, or longevity."
(JAMA Intern Med. Published online May 12, 2014. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.1582. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)
Editor's Note: This work was supported by a variety of grants from different funding sources. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Media Advisory: To contact author Richard D. Semba, M.D., M.P.H., call Stephanie Desmon at 410-955-8665 or email sdesmon1@jhmi.edu.
Journal
JAMA Internal Medicine