Ronald Watson, Ph.D., research professor at the Arizona Prevention Center, a center of excellence at AHSC, found that Pycnogenol, a trademarked natural extract made from the bark of French maritime pine trees, has an anticoagulant effect similar to that of aspirin, but without aspirin's side-effects. "Pycnogenol appears to serve as a natural shield, helping to prevent excessive cell aggregation, which would restrict the blood supply struggling to move through narrow arteries," Dr. Watson said. "Here's a completely natural substance with remarkable activity, producing effects within minutes. It may have important health implications for an aging population."
Dr. Watson, whose laboratory has long been interested in antioxidants in health promotion, presented his findings May 20 in Washington, D.C., at the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Watson anticipates the study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal within a few months. In the study, which involved a group of 38 healthy smokers at the UA and at the University of Munster in Germany, Pycnogenol significantly reduced platelet aggregation, a condition that occurs when the smallest blood cells stick together and form "clumps" in the blood. A clump of cells in a narrowed artery feeding a region of the brain can produce a stroke, while aggregated platelets in restricted blood vessels feeding the heart can lead to heart attacks. "This research shows Pycnogenol may benefit the entire cardiovascular system by preventing excessive platelet aggregation brought on by smoking and stress," Dr. Watson said.
Study participants were given a single dose of 100-120 mg of Pycnogenol or 500 mg of aspirin. Then they smoked to increase platelet aggregation and blood clumping prior to having their blood drawn. Within two hours after taking the supplement, participants were evaluated to measure the effects of Pycnogenol or aspirin in reducing smoking-induced platelet aggregation. (The study focused on smokers because it is easier to measure their increased clumping of platelets.) Results showed that both Pycnogenol and aspirin reduced platelet aggregation significantly. But a single, smaller dose of the natural nutrient Pycnogenol was as effective as a five-time larger amount of aspirin. "Further, Pycnogenol did not increase bleeding, while aspirin did," Dr. Watson said. "Others have shown that aspirin is not well-tolerated -- or does not prevent aggregation -- in about half of those using it." Studies are under way to assess the long-term effects of Pycnogenol supplementation in non-smokers and smokers.
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