Austin, TX Menopausal women are at relatively high risk for memory loss, high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes. A decade ago, the standard treatment for these problems was long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Since then, studies have shown that extensive use of HRT is associated with significant adverse effects. As a result, alternatives have been sought. Certain naturally occurring edible compounds found in plants dietary polyphenols have been shown to have some beneficial effects similar to HRT but without the appreciable adverse effects. Grape, soy and kudzu are dietary polyphenols. One research lab investigating them through several studies has found they can blunt cognitive loss, hypertension and insulin resistance in an experimental model.

These and related studies are being led by physiologist J. Michael Wyss, Department of Cell Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL. Dr. Wyss will be discussing his work, entitled The Role of Estrogens and Polyphenols in Hypertension and Diabetes, at the upcoming conference, Sex and Gender in Cardiovascular-Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology, being held August 9-12, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake, Austin, TX. The meeting is the second scientific event to be sponsored by the American Physiological Society (APS; www.The-APS.org) this year.

Incorporated in Dr. Wyss presentation are results from the following studies:

Study 1: Grapes, Cognitive Enhancement and Hypertension

The research team examined whether grape polyphenols were associated with reduced cognitive dysfunction and a lower incidence of high blood pressure. They found that the effect of the polyphenols on working and reference memory errors indicated that both short-term (working memory) and long-term (reference memory) were beneficially and nearly equally enhanced by grape polyphenols.

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Contact: Donna Krupa
dkrupa@the-aps.org
301-634-7209
American Physiological Society
8-Aug-2007