Effects of Almonds on Vascular Reactivity in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Inclusion Criteria:

• Stable CAD Patients (men & postmenopausal women)
• aged 20-80 years
• weighing less than 115 Kg (BMI range 18.5-35 kg/m2)
• with coronary artery disease defined by the presence of lesions on coronary angiography, history of myocardial infarction, or positive stress test.
• Subjects are eligible to participate after a stent procedure only after they have been stable for one month after the stent procedure.
• All Ethnic Groups.
• Languages: English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with heart failure are not eligible for participation in this study.
• History or known allergy to nuts of any kind
• Women with a positive urine beta HCG pregnancy test and lactating women or women who are planning to become pregnant.
• Regular consumption of ≥ 5 oz nuts/week for 6 weeks prior to study admission
• Clinical history of other major illness including end-stage cancer, renal failure, hepatic failure, gastrointestinal disorders that may impair absorption, or other conditions that in the opinion of the principal investigator make a clinical study inappropriate.
• Regular use of oral steroids
• Cigarette smoking and/or nicotine replacement use
• Regular daily intake of ≥ 2 alcoholic drinks
• Illicit drug use
• History of a psychological illness or condition such as to interfere with the subject's ability to understand the requirements of the study.
• No dietary supplements containing phenolic compounds, i.e., herbal preparations, or berry containing preparations (such as cranberry capsules) for one month prior to study admission.
• Treatment with an investigational new drug within the last 30 days.
• Treatment with Vitamin E, Vitamin C, beta carotene, lipoic acid, or other food or herbal supplements within 1 month of enrollment (subjects taking multivitamins or other forms of vitamin E and C in doses that do not exceed two times the RDA will not be excluded).
• The following medications will be withheld in the morning of each ultrasound study visit as follows:

All vasoactive medications (nitrates, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and other vasodilators). Subjects will take their medications immediately after the ultrasound measurements are taken.