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Impact of Lean Pork on Endothelial Function in Perimenopause
Effects of Lean Pork Intake on Endothelial Function and Vasomotor Symptoms in Perimenopausal Women
Who can join
Ages 40 to 55 · Women · Healthy volunteers welcome
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Are female * Are between 40 and 55 years of age * Have a BMI (a number calculated from participant height and weight) between 28 and45 kg/m2 * Are experiencing irregular menstrual cycles but have not gone longer than 12 consecutive months without a period * Are experiencing severe vasomotor (menopause) symptoms * Are doing less than 3 hours per week of structured exercise * Have systolic blood pressure between 120 and 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure between 80 and 90 mmHg * Have "sugary" hemoglobin called hemoglobin A1c less than or equal to 6.5% * Are willing and able to refrain from using oral mouth wash for the duration of the study because the alcohol in mouth wash inhibits nitrate synthesis * Are willing and able to comply with both the study diets * Are willing to collect blood for future research * Can read, speak, and understand English Exclusion Criteria: * Hysterectomy (partial or full) or oophorectomy * Using hormone replacement therapy use and/or hormonal contraception use 6 months prior to study start * Has systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg) * Triglycerides ≥350 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥190 mg/dL, and/or taking a lipid-lowering medication -Diagnosed cardiovascular disease, diabetes (type 1 or 2), or endocrine- related disease (e.g. thyroid, PCOS), unstable gastrointestinal disease, kidney, liver, and/or pancreatic disease * Diagnosed cancer (except skin cancer) in the last 5 years * Taking \>1 blood pressure medication and/or taking 1 blood pressure medication for \<3 months * Taking phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, anti-coagulants, corticosteroids, metformin, or insulin. * Weight change ≥6.6 pounds in the past 3 months, actively trying to lose weight, or unwilling to remain weight stable throughout the study * Current smoking or vaping, Binge and/or heavy drinker * Food allergies or other reasons preventing consumption of study foods with both study diets
About the study
The goal of this study is to examine the impact of a diet high in fresh lean pork, compared to a plant-based diet, on cardiovascular function and vasomotor symptoms in perimenopausal women with overweight and obesity. The main questions it aims to answer are:
1. How does a diet high in pork, compared to a plant-based diet, affects blood lipids, endothelial function, and blood pressure? 2. How does a diet high in pork, compared to a plant-based diet, affects blood nitrate, cardiometabolic biomarkers, inflammatory biomarkers, and vasomotor symptoms?
Researchers will compare the diet high in pork to a plant-based diet to see if pork helps improve cardiovascular and mesopause symptoms.
Participants will:
* Consume both of the diets, each for 4 weeks, with a washout period between 2 and 6 weeks in between the diets trials * Visit the clinic 5 times with weekly meal pick ups during the diet trials * Undergo testing procedures including: weight and body composition, blood pressure and pulse, endothelial function using ultrasound of upper arm, microvascular blood flow, blood draws, physical activity measurements, and questionnaires.
What is being tested
- Pork Diet (behavioral)
- Plant Diet (behavioral)
Sponsor: Pennington Biomedical Research Center · Participants: 30 · Started: Aug 1, 2025
Contact the study team
- Hannah E Cabre, PhD, RDN · Phone: 225-763-2826
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06976112
Locations in the U.S.
| Louisiana | Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 29, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.