Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements to Improve Quality of Life and Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients

Title:Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements to Improve Quality of Life and Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients

Volume: 23 Issue: 8

Author(s): Arrigo F.G. Cicero*Alessandro Colletti

Affiliation:

• Sant'Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Building 2 –IV Floor, Via Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna,Italy

Keywords: Heart failure, nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, coenzyme Q10, probiotics, D-ribose, L-carnosine, hawthorn.

Abstract: Background: Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the ventricle to fill or eject blood. It represents a major public health issue, with a prevalence of over 23 million worldwide. The lifetime risk of developing HF is one in five and the most important risk factors identified are ischemic heart disease, hypertension, smoking, obesity and diabetes. Preventive approaches are based on improvements of lifestyle, associated with pharmacological therapy. Several nutraceuticals have shown interesting clinical results in prevention of HF as well as in the treatment of the early stages of the disease, alone or in association with pharmacological therapy.

Aim: The aim of this review is to resume the available clinical evidence on phytochemicals effect on HF prevention and/or treatment.

Methods: A systematic search strategy was developed to identify trials in PubMed (January 1980 to April 2016). The terms ‘nutraceuticals’, ‘dietary supplements’, ‘herbal drug’ and ‘heart failure’ were incorporated into an electronic search strategy.

Results: Clinical trials reported that the intake of some nutraceuticals (hawthorn, coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, Dribose, Carnosine, Vitamin D, Some probiotics, Omega-3 PUFAs, Beet nitrates) is associated with improvements in functional parameters such as ejection fraction, stroke volume and cardiac output in HF patients, with minimal side effects. These findings were sometimes reinforced by subsequent meta-analyses, which further concluded that benefits tended to be greater in earlier stage HF. The main mechanisms involved are antioxidant, antinflammatory, anti-ischemic and antiaggregant effects.

Conclusions: Evidence suggests that the supplementation with nutraceuticals may be a useful option for effective management of HF, with the advantage of excellent clinical tolerance.

Cite this article as:

Cicero F.G. Arrigo*, Colletti Alessandro, Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements to Improve Quality of Life and Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2017; 23 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612823666170124120518

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612823666170124120518	Print ISSN 1381-6128
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1873-4286