New Findings: What is the central question of this study? The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of acute induced systemic inflammation on endothelial function, wave reflection and arterial function in older adults. What is the main finding and its importance? Acute inflammation induced by influenza vaccination did not affect endothelial function in older adults. These findings have never been shown in older adults, and they emphasize the importance of vascular function during systemic arterial inflammation. Acute inflammation reduces flow‐mediated vasodilatation and increases arterial stiffness in young healthy individuals. However, this response has not been studied in older adults. The aim of this study, therefore, was to evaluate the effect of acute induced systemic inflammation on endothelial function and wave reflection in older adults. Furthermore, an acute bout of moderate‐intensity aerobic exercise can be anti‐inflammatory. Taken together, we tested the hypothesis that acute moderate‐intensity endurance exercise, immediately preceding induced inflammation, would be protective against the negative effects of acute systemic inflammation on vascular function. Fifty‐nine healthy volunteers between 55 and 75 years of age were randomized to an exercise or a control group. Both groups received a vaccine (induced inflammation) and sham (saline) injection in a counterbalanced crossover design. Inflammatory markers, endothelial function (flow‐mediated vasodilatation) and measures of wave reflection and arterial stiffness were evaluated at baseline and at 24 and 48 h after injections. There were no significant differences in endothelial function and arterial stiffness between the exercise and control group after induced inflammation. The groups were then analysed together, and we found significant differences in the inflammatory markers 24 and 48 h after induction of acute inflammation compared with sham injection. However, flow‐mediated vasodilatation, augmentation index normalized for heart rate (AIx75) and β‐stiffness did not change significantly. Our results suggest that acute inflammation induced by influenza vaccination did not affect endothelial function in older adults.

Sudden cardiac events account for 40–50% of firefighter line-of-duty deaths. Inflammatory proteins are strong biomarkers of cardiovascular inflammation. The present study investigated the effects of aspirin supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers following firefighting. Using a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover design, 24 male firefighters (48.2 ± 5.9 yrs.) were allocated into four conditions: acute (81 mg; single-dose) aspirin and placebo supplementation, and chronic (81 mg; 14 days) aspirin and placebo supplementation. Inflammatory proteins (IL-6, CRP, ICAM-1, P-selectin, MMP-9) and antioxidant potential (total antioxidant capacity [TAC]) were measured pre- and post-structural firefighting drills. Firefighting activities significantly increased IL-6, MMP-9, and P-Selectin, however, no changes in TAC and ICAM-1 were detected. Neither chronic nor acute aspirin supplementation attenuated this inflammatory response. Firefighting significantly increases inflammatory biomarkers and neither acute nor chronic low-dose aspirin mitigates this response.

Background: Hypertension is a global health crisis linked to increased heart disease and stroke. Black individuals have the greatest burden of hypertension and related diseases. Recent research suggests that the gut microbial production of short‐chain fatty acids, such as butyrate, is associated with blood pressure (BP) regulation. We hypothesize that acutely increasing gut butyrate would lead to a significant reduction in BP within a 24‐hour period. Methods: Ten Black adults with normal BP and 10 with stage 1 hypertension (age and sex‐matched) participated in this study. In a crossover experiment, participants with hypertension randomly self‐administered a low dose (5 mmol/L) and a high dose (80 mmol/L) butyrate enema 7 days apart. Blood butyrate levels were measured before and 30 minutes post enema, with BP monitored via 24‐hour ambulatory devices. Preintervention fecal samples were sequenced via the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and microbiome characteristics assessed. Results: We observed that daytime systolic BP was significantly lower after the 80 mmol/L butyrate enema. There was no significant difference in blood butyrate between controls and the group with hypertension before or after either enema. Microbial diversity did not significantly differ between groups; however, pathways for carbohydrate fermentation were significantly lower with differentially abundance butyrate‐producing microbes in participants with hypertension compared with those with normal BP. Conclusions: This study suggests that increasing gut butyrate availability can improve BP. The findings bolster the evidence that gut butyrate regulates BP and supports studies needed to test strategies to boost gut butyrate availability for BP control. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier NCT04415333.

Hypertension (HTN) is common among athletes and the most recent epidemiologic data reports that cardiovascular (CV) sudden death is significantly greater in African Americans (AAs). Gut microbial dysbiosis (a poorly diverse stool microbial profile) has been associated with HTN in sedentary people but microbial characteristics of athletes with HTN are unknown. Our purpose was to differentiate microbiome characteristics associated with BP status in AA collegiate athletes. Thirty AA collegiate athletes were stratified by normal BP (systolic BP (SBP) ≤130 mmHg; n = 15) and HTN (SBP ≥130 mmHg; n = 15). 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on stool samples to identify microbes at the genus level. We did not observe any significant differences in alpha diversity, but beta diversity was different between groups. Principal coordinate analysis was significantly different (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05, R = 0.235) between groups. Spearman rank correlations showed a significant (p < 0.05) correlation between systolic BP and abundances for Adlercreutzia (R = 0.64), Coprococcus (R = 0.49), Granulicatella (R = 0.63), and Veillonella (R = 0.41). Gut microbial characteristics were associated with differentially abundant microbial genus' and BP status. These results will direct future studies to define the functions of these microbes associated with BP in athletes.

Background: African Americans (AA) are disproportionally affected by hypertension (HTN). Gut microbiome metabolites (e.g., butyrate) may mediate the relationship between the microbiome and blood pressure (BP). Previous research reports a consistent indirect relationship between gut butyrate, a product of gut microbial nutrient fermentation, and BP. Thus, this study assessed the relationship between individual diet intake on BP changes after a butyrate treatment. Methods: AA aged 30–50 with HTN underwent treatment with a blinded placebo (5 mmol) and butyrate enema (80 mmol) with a one-week washout period. Ambulatory BP monitors collected measures up to 24 h post-enema. The Nutrition Data System for Research was used to assess diet and Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) scores from diet records. Paired t-tests and Kendall’s correlation tests determined group differences and relationships between variables (p < 0.05). Results: Positive correlations were found between other vegetables and 24 h diastolic BP (r = 0.64), daytime diastolic BP (r = 0.68), and MAP (r = 0.72). Positive correlations were also found between 24 h systolic BP and HEI-2015 greens and beans sub-scores (r = 0.64) and 24 h DBP and total vegetables (r = 0.64). Negative correlations were found between nighttime arterial stiffness and total grain intake (r = −0.71). Conclusion: These data suggest diet impacts BP measures in response to acutely increasing gut butyrate. These results provide preliminary evidence linking food groups, not individual nutrients, with BP outcomes and gut butyrate availability.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between low energy availability (LEA) and nutritional content with high blood pressure (HBP) in African American Division I athletes. Twenty-three D1 African American pre-season athletes were recruited to participate. HBP was defined as >120 systolic blood pressure (BP) and <80 diastolic BP. Athletes self-reported nutritional intake using a non-consecutive 3-day food recall which was then reviewed by a sports dietitian. LEA was evaluated as total energy intake—total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), which was predicted. Additionally, micronutrients were evaluated. A statistical analysis relied on Spearman correlation (R), standardized mean difference with 95% confidence interval, mean ± SD, and odds ratios (OR). Correlation values were categorized: 0.20–0.39 = low; 0.40–0.69 = moderate; 0.70–1.0 = strong. A moderate relationship was observed between HBP and LEA (R = 0.56) with 14/23 having HBP. Of the 14 athletes observed with HBP, 78.5% (11/14) were calorically deficient (−529 ± 695 kcal) with an OR of 7.2. Micronutrient intake deficiencies were ubiquitous among the 23 HBP athletes: poly-unsaturated fatty acid −29.6%; omega-3 −26.0%; iron −46.0%; calcium −25.1%; and sodium −14.2%, amongst others. LEA and micronutrient deficiencies may contribute to HBP in Black D1 athletes, which has been shown to be the most common modifiable risk factor to decrease the risk of sudden cardiac death.