Study Title: (-)-Epicatechin Ameliorates Cardiac Fibrosis in a Female Rat Model of Pre-Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
- Citation: Bustamante-Pozo et al., 2022 · Journal of Medicinal Food
What the Study Found: In an aged female rat model of pre-HFpEF, (−)-epicatechin treatment significantly reduced left ventricular fibrosis. It also lowered plasma oxidative stress markers and levels of profibrotic and proinflammatory cytokines. No detectable changes in left ventricular contractile function were observed.
What this means in real life: In early heart failure, mitochondria in cardiac tissue become stressed, driving fibrosis and inflammation that stiffen the heart. This study shows that (−)-epicatechin can powerfully reduce fibrosis and systemic oxidative/inflammatory load even when ejection fraction is still preserved. Supporting mitochondrial health helps protect the heart from the stiffening process that quietly robs it of efficient energy production.
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