In a randomised, double-blind trial among patients receiving antihypertensive medication, the effects of the oral treatment with coenzyme Q10 (60 mg twice daily) were compared for 8 weeks in 30 (coenzyme Q10: group A) and 29 (B vitamin complex: group B) patients known to have essential hypertension and presenting with coronary artery disease (CAD). After 8 weeks of follow-up, the following indices were reduced in the coenzyme Q10 group: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting and 2-h plasma insulin, glucose, triglycerides, lipid per-

Dietary pattern consisting of high intakes of vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, poultry, and whole grains, can be protective against mortality from cardiovascular and malignant diseases. A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies demonstrated that an increased consumption of fruit and vegetables from less than 3 to more than 5 servings/day is related to a 17% reduction, whereas an increased intake from 3 to 5 servings/day is associated with a smaller and borderline significant reduction in CAD risk. These results provide evidence supporting that 5 or more servings per day of fruit and vegetables, are needed to protect from CVD. Other cohort studies identified 2 dietary patterns from data collected on serial food frequency questionnaires. One pattern, called " prudent", was characterized by a high vegetables, fruit, legumes, fish, poultry, and whole grains. The other pattern, which is proatherogenic, called "Western", corresponded to a high consumption of red meat, processed meat, refined grains, french fries, sweets, and desserts. More recently, "Designer" foods containg nutrients such as w-3 fatty acids, selected groups of vitamins and trace elements, and antioxidants are being available that may have the potential for inclusions in the "prudent" dietary pattern in the future. Indeed in the year 2009, European Union has allocated a budget of 9 million Euro for conducting research to examine the effects of "designer" foods on health biomarkers.

Objectives: To determine age-specific prevalence of than females in the young age group, however, the prevalence rates are comparable in the older age hypertension and blood pressure (BP) levels in relation to diet and lifestyle factors in North Indians.groups

To determine the association of socio-economic status 1.05-1.14; women 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.13), body mass (SES) and prevalence of hypertension and its risk facindex (odds ratio: men 1.12, 1.08-1.18; women 1.11, tors in a rural population, a cross sectional survey was 1.06-1.16) and sedentary lifestyle (odds ratio: men 1.45, conducted in two randomly selected villages in the 1.32-1.58; women 1.38, 1.26-1.49). Only weak but sigMoradabad district in North India. There were 1935 resinificant associations were observed with smoking, alcodents aged over 25 (984 men and 951 women) who were hol and salt intake. The association of hypertension with randomly selected and categorised into social classes social class was reduced after adjustment of body mass 1-4 depending upon SES based on occupation, housing index, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and salt intake (odds conditions, land holding, total per capita income, ownerratio: men 0.96, 0.81-1.14; women 0.73, 0.54 -1.04). ship of consumer durables and education. The prevaThere was an increase in the prevalence of hypertension lence of hypertension diagnosed by JNC V criteria and age-specific blood pressure (BP) with increasing (Ͼ140/90 mm Hg) was significantly higher among social age in both sexes. The overall prevalence of hypertenclass 1 and 2 and showed positive relation with SES in sion by WHO criteria (Ͼ160/95) was 4.6% and by JNC V both sexes. Among social class 1 and 2 subjects, there criteria 20.8%, and the rates were comparable in both was a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity and sexes. Social class 1 and 2 subjects in rural North India sedentary lifestyle. Logistic regression analysis with have a higher prevalence of hypertension and its risk adjustment of age showed that SES had a positive factors of overweight and sedentary lifestyle. relation with hypertension (odds ratio: men 1.09, 95% CI

Purpose: Antioxidant vitamin and coenzyme Q10 de ciency as well as oxidative damage have been observed in patients with chronic renal failure. In this study, we examine whether treatment with coenzyme Q10 can improve renal function in chronic renal failure. Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Materials and Methods: Subjects (n 5 21) with available records of chronic renal failure on dialysis or not on dialysis (serum creatinine 5 mg dl 2 1 or above) were randomly divided into intervention (n 5 11) and control (n 5 10) groups by blindly selecting a card. The intervention group was administered coenzyme Q10 (60 mg thrice daily) and the placebo group inert bre (cellulose, 1 g thrice daily) for a period of 4 weeks. Results: The coenzyme Q10 group showed a signi cant reduction in serum creatinine, blood urea and a signi cant increase in creatinine clearance and urine output compared to the placebo group after the 4-week trial period, while the baseline values of these parameters were comparable between the two groups. The frequency of dialysis and the proportion of subjects on dialysis were comparable at baseline. However, after 4 weeks, the subjects on dialysis were signi cantly fewer in the coenzyme Q10 group than the placebo group (36.2% vs. 90.0%, p , 0.02). Plasma levels of antioxidant vitamins A, E and C and beta-carotene showed a signi cant increase whereas thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, diene conjugates and malondialdehyde showed a signi cant reduction in the coenzyme Q10 group compared to the control group. Conclusions: Treatment with coenzyme Q10 improves renal function in patients with chronic renal failure and decreases the need for dialysis in patients on chronic dialysis. Long-term follow-up in a large number of patients would be necessary to con rm these results.