Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that increase a patient's likelihood for heart
attack, stroke and diabetes. Our research is aimed at understanding whether a drug,
resveratrol, commonly found in grapes and red wine, would have any benefit in reducing risk
factors in patients that have metabolic syndrome. Despite the use of aspirin and cholesterol
reducing medications, patients with metabolic syndrome still often have sticky platelets and
dysfunctional lipid profile. This is likely due to inflammation and high oxidative state. In
animal studies, this drug has reduced platelet stickiness and reduced oxidative stress.
However, the effects of this drug have not been researched in patients with metabolic
syndrome.
We are interested in studying whether the benefits of resveratrol described in animal models
can be translated to patients with metabolic syndrome who display high markers of oxidative
stress. We plan to give a short intervention of drug to patients and then determine if the
drug successfully:
1. Decreases the stickiness of platelets. This is important because sticky platelets are
more likely to form clot and contribute to plaque formation.
2. Reduce the circulating dysfunctional HDL. HDL and its protein and lipid constituents
help to inhibit oxidation, inflammation, activation of the blood vessel wall,
coagulation, and platelet aggregation. Dysfunctional HDL, as occurs in metabolic
syndrome patients, cannot properly protect against atherosclerosis.