<p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" class="first" id="d12334060e85">Ageing
and menopause contribute to endothelial dysfunction, causing impaired cerebral
perfusion, which is in turn associated with accelerated cognitive decline. In a 14-week
pilot study, we showed that supplementation with low-dose resveratrol, a phytoestrogen
that can enhance endothelial function, improved cerebrovascular and cognitive functions
in postmenopausal women. We sought to confirm these benefits in a larger, longer-term
trial. A 24-month randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial was undertaken in
125 postmenopausal women, aged 45-85 years, who took 75 mg trans-resveratrol or placebo
twice-daily for 12 months and then crossover to the alternative treatment for another
12 months. We evaluated within individual differences between each treatment period
in measures of cognition (primary outcome), cerebrovascular function in the middle
cerebral artery (cerebral blood flow velocity: CBFV, cerebrovascular responsiveness:
CVR) and cardio-metabolic markers as secondary outcomes. Subgroup analyses examined
effects of resveratrol by life stages. Compared to placebo, resveratrol supplementation
resulted a significant 33% improvement in overall cognitive performance (Cohen's d = 0.170,
P = 0.005). Women ≥65 years of age showed a relative improvement in verbal memory
with resveratrol compared to those younger than 65 years. Furthermore, resveratrol
improved secondary outcomes including resting mean CBFV (d = 0.275, P = 0.001), CVR
to hypercapnia (d = 0.307, P = 0.027), CVR to cognitive stimuli (d = 0.259, P = 0.032),
fasting insulin (d = 0.174, P = 0.025) and insulin resistance index (d = 0.102, P = 0.034).
Regular supplementation with low-dose resveratrol can enhance cognition, cerebrovascular
function and insulin sensitivity in postmenopausal women. This may translate into
a slowing of the accelerated cognitive decline due to ageing and menopause, especially
in late-life women. Further studies are warranted to observe whether these cognitive
benefits of resveratrol can reduce the risk of dementia.
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