Association Between Consumption of Different Dosages of Bioactive Wheat Peptides and Blood Pressure (BP) Level and Other Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy Subjects With High-normal BP: a Double-blind, Cross-over, RCT

In this study we will assess the effects of bioactive peptide rich wheat products on blood pressure and estimated cardiovascular disease risk. This will be a pilot, explorative, cross-over, randomized double-blind 2 groups x 2-arms controlled, clinical trial. The intervention will be based on commercially-packaged pasta, which will appear and taste the same; (i) low dose bioactive peptides vs. (ii) high dose bioactive peptides. Inclusion Criteria will be: Male and female non-diabetic adult volunteers at increased estimated CV risk (ESC/EAS SCORE) with SBP 130-139 mmHg and/or DBP 85-90 mmHg); Age included between 40 and 70 years old; Primary prevention for CVD but otherwise in good general health and have had no major illness in the previous 6-months; Volunteer providing their signed and dated informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria will be: Severe medical illness/chronic disease/gastrointestinal pathology (e.g. coeliac disease); Secondary prevention for CVD; Treatment with drugs potentially affecting BP (including antihypertensive drugs) or other related CV risk factors; Consumption of nutraceuticals, botanical extracts or other vitamin supplements; Volunteer diagnosed as being hypertensive A total of 60 participants will be recruited and following adherence to a standardized diet for a 4-week period, will be randomly assigned to complete one of 2 treatment sequences by consuming a prescribed quantity of pasta products for a 4-week period followed by a 4-week washout before random assignment to the 2nd treatment.

The Primary Outcome will be the modification of office blood pressure (assessed by systolic and diastolic BP, pulse and mean pressure (mean of 3 standing & sitting measures) and 24-hour blood pressure.

Additional outcomes include: Anthropometric parameters (Weight, WC, HC, WC/HC, ICO, BMI), Glucose and Lipid profile (TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, non-HDL cholesterol, risk ratios), Estimated CVD risk changes (EAS/ESC SCORE Charts), Measures of vascular health (FMD, PWA, PWV, Aix), Liver and renal functionality biomarkers, 24-h urine collection at baseline of treatment phase 1 and endpoint of the final phase will be analysed to account for potential confounding of urinary sodium excretion (intake) As required by the GCPs and GLPs, all the SOPs have already been established and all the personnel to be involved in the study is continuously trained in trials with similar outcomes