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Vegetarian Diet and Innate Immunity in Patients With Myocardial Infarction and in Healthy Volunteers (FRESH-MI Study)

Effect of a Vegetarian Diet on Innate Immunity in Patients With Myocardial Infarction and in Healthy Volunteers (FRESH-MI Study)

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06209723
Acronym
FRESH-MI
Enrollment
120
Registered
2024-01-17
Start date
2024-01-08
Completion date
2026-09-01
Last updated
2024-01-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Myocardial Infarction

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effect of a vegetarian diet on innate immunity of patients with a recent acute myocardial infarction and healthy participants. Also, we will assess the willingness to adapt a more vegetarian eating habit. Study subjects will follow a vegetarian diet for five weeks, whereafter a stabilisation period of six weeks will follow. Then, participants will follow to the other dietary intervention for five weeks. Blood will be drawn at given time points to analyse inflammatory parameters.

Detailed description

We will perform a proof-of-concept study according to a prospective randomized open label blinded endpoint (PROBE) design. Patients with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and their healthy life partners / spouses will be randomly assigned to an immediate vegetarian diet or their habitual diet. Patients with AMI will be stratified for non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The dietary intervention will start one week after the index event and will comprise a period of five weeks. After a stabilisation phase (six weeks), to assure normalisation of the inflammatory response secondary to the acute myocardial infarction, patients and their spouses will follow the other dietary intervention arm. Then, half of them will start directly with the other dietary intervention and half of them will start after a period of five weeks. Blood samples will be taken at the time points. Also, all participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire at baseline, after twelve weeks and at nine months follow-up. Infarct size as assessed by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) imaging will be used to adjust cytokine levels.

Interventions

Participants will follow a vegetarian diet during a period of five weeks

Sponsors

Radboud University Medical Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

for patients: * Acute myocardial infarction (STEMI/NSTEMI) with a clear culprit lesion on angiography and successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) \<1 week before randomisation * Body mass index between 18.5 and 35 kg/m2 * Written informed consent Inclusion Criteria for healthy volunteers (life partners / souses) * Body mass index between 18.5 and 35 kg/m2 * Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

for patients and healthy volunteers: * Already on a vegetarian or vegan diet * Previous myocardial infarction * Diabetes Mellitus * Medical history of any disease associated with immune deficiency (either congenital or acquired, including chemotherapy, chronic steroid use, organ transplant) * Use of immunomodulatory drugs * Vaccination less than one month before start of intervention * Clinically significant infections within 1 months prior to start of intervention (defined as fever \>38.5 degrees Celsius) * Active malignant haematological disease * Known eating disorder (e.g., Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
The difference in cytokine production capacity (including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β) of isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after ex-vivo stimulation before and after the vegetarian diet compared to the habitual diet in patients with AMIfive weeks

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
The cytokine production capacity (including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β) of isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells after ex-vivo stimulation before and after following a vegetarian diet in participants without cardiovascular history.five weeks
The frequency of the consumption of vegetables per week at nine months follow-up will be compared between patients with a recent acute myocardial infarction, who directly start with a vegetarian diet compared to a deferred start.9 months

Countries

Netherlands

Contacts

Primary ContactRobin Nijveldt, MD, PhD
robin.nijveldt@radboudumc.nl0031243616785
Backup ContactSaloua El Messaoudi, MD, PhD
Saloua.ElMessaoudi@radboudumc.nl0031243616785

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026