The aim of the current project is to understand the effect of dietary nitrates (via beet-root juice), on its ability to improve parameters of cardiovascular health in cancer survivors with a history of anthracycline chemotherapy.
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in modern society, but due in part to increasing rates of detection coupled with advanced therapies, of the ≈230,000 people newly diagnosed with breast cancer each year, approximately 90% are expected to live beyond 5 years. Despite the trend in improved cancer-related mortality, breast cancer survivors are at a significantly increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. As such the American Heart Association has recently highlighted the immediate need to evaluate changes in cardiovascular health and function in the early stages of cancer treatment. The mechanisms of adjuvant therapies on cardiovascular function may be the result of increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and altered redox status, specifically the balance between nitric oxide and superoxide. As such, nitrate supplementation has been shown to attenuate Doxorubicin (chemotherapy drug)-induced ventricular function in animal models. These data implicate dietary nitrates as one potential therapeutic intervention that could be used to improve cardiovascular health in cancer survivors. Beetroot juice (BRJ) is a nutritional supplement that has been studied to examine potential effects of dietary nitrates affecting vasodilation. The increased nitrate levels have been implicated in helping increase nitric oxide bioavailability, which have been shown to improve cardiovascular function in older adults and those with known cardiovascular disease. The question, however, of whether or not BRJ will enhance cardiovascular function in breast cancer survivors is yet to be determined. The primary aim of the current investigation is to test the hypothesis that dietary nitrate supplementation, via beet-root juice, improves parameters of cardiovascular health in cancer survivors with a history of anthracycline chemotherapy treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
13
Following randomization on day 1, subjects will consume either the nitrate or nitrate-free beverage for 7 days with outcome measurements performed on day 7. Following a 7 day washout, subjects will then consume the crossover beverage for 7 days with outcome measures performed on day 21.
Following randomization on day 1, subjects will consume either the nitrate or nitrate-free beverage for 7 days with outcome measurements performed on day 7. Following a 7 day washout, subjects will then consume the crossover beverage for 7 days with outcome measures performed on day 21.
Kansas State University - Clinical Integrative Physiology Laboratory
Manhattan, Kansas, United States
Change in Left ventricular function
Left ventricular function as measured by transthoracic echocardiography
Time frame: The change between day 1 and day 21
Change in Vascular function
Vascular function measured as changes in arterial stiffness and endothelial function.
Time frame: The change between day 1 and day 21
Change in Blood pressure
Local limb blood pressure measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) following study interventions/arms
Time frame: The change between day 1 and day 21
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