The Relationships Between Chocolate Consumption and Endothelial Dysfunction in Patients with Heart Failure

OBJECTIVE
Dietary recommendations, in addition to medications, have recently become important in the treatment of heart failure. Our study aimed to show the positive effects of both milk chocolate and dark chocolate on heart failure through endothelial functions.


METHODS
Twenty patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction were included in the study. In this randomized, crossover study, some of the patients consumed milk chocolate and some consumed dark chocolate. We recorded the patients' 6-minute walking tests, flow-mediated dilatation values, plasma catechin, epicatechin, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide values before and after chocolate consumption. After 2 weeks, their chocolate consumption was changed. The same parameters were measured again.


RESULTS
A significant decrease was observed in N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide values after consumption of both milk chocolate (356 ± 54.2 and 310 ± 72.1 pg/mL; P =.007) and dark chocolate (341 ± 57 and 301 ± 60.1 pg/mL;P =.028). Flow-mediated dilation values increased after dark chocolate consumption (8.9 ± 3% and 14 ± 4.5%; P =.019).


CONCLUSION
Chocolate consumption acutely decreases N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic pep-tide values in heart failure. Dark chocolate consumption also seems to improve endothelial functions by increasing flow-mediated dilation values.