HYPERTENSION OR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IS A MAJOR, YET PREVENTABLE, MODIFIABLE RISK FACTOR FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, THE LEADING CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN THE WORLD. ACCORDING TO THE 2018 REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION ON HEART DISEASE STATISTICS, IT IS CURRENTLY ESTIMATED THAT 85 MILLION IN THE US HAVE HYPERTENSION. THE REPORT ALSO INDICATES THAT IN 2015, 37.5% OF DEATHS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO HYPERTENSION AND THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT COST TO TREAT HYPERTENSION IN 2014 WAS $53.2 BILLION. ADDITIONALLY, THE REPORT REVEALS THAT HYPERTENSION IS LINKED TO OVERALL SHORTER LIFE EXPECTANCY AND A GREATER NUMBER OF YEARS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.A NUMBER OF ANTI-HYPERTENSIVE DRUGS ARE AVAILABLE TO TREAT HYPERTENSION; HOWEVER, THESE DRUGS HAVE VARIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING FATIGUE, DIZZINESS, HEADACHES, CONSTIPATION, NAUSEA, COUGH AND EDEMA. ADDITIONALLY, MULTIPLE ANTI-HYPERTENSIVE MEDICATIONS ARE OFTEN NEEDED TO DECREASE BP, INCREASING POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS AND DECREASING ADHERENCE. THEREFORE, ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES, INCLUDING NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES, THAT ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ARE NEEDED TO PREVENT AND/OR TREAT HYPERTENSION AND DECREASE THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS.RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION AND AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY IN THE PRIMARY TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION CONSIST OF LIFESTYLE CHANGES, INCLUDING WEIGHT LOSS, EXERCISE AND DIETARY MODIFICATIONS, E.G. INCREASING THE CONSUMPTION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. IN FACT, POPULATION STUDIES INDICATE THAT CONSUMPTION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IS ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED INFLAMMATION AND INCIDENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. BLACKBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES ARE MAJOR FRUIT CROPS THAT ARE NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA AND ARE WIDELY CONSUMED IN THE US. THESE BERRIES HAVE STRONG ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES. SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT CONSUMPTION OF BERRIES MAY PRODUCE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON BLOOD PRESSURE. HOWEVER, THEIR APPLICABILITY ISDIMINISHED BY THE LACK OF MECHANISTIC EXPLANATIONS ABOUT THEIR MODE OF ACTION WHICH INCREASES UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THEIR POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS. FURTHER, THE IDEAL TYPE AND/OR COMBINATION OF BERRY THAT WILL ELICIT THE GREATEST BENEFITS TO CARDIOMETABOLIC HEALTH HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED.THEREFORE, LONG TERM-GOAL OF THESE STUDIES IS TO IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES THAT CAN IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR AND GUT HEALTH. THE OVERALL GOAL OF OUR PROJECT IS TO USE A PRECLINICAL RAT MODEL TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF BLACKBERRY AND RASPBERRY, ALONE OR IN COMBINATION, IN ATTENUATING HYPERTENSION AND THE ASSOCIATED CARDIAC DAMAGE. WE ALSO AIM TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF BERRIES ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND CARDIAC FUNCTION ARE MEDIATED BY FAVORABLE ALTERATIONS IN GUT HEALTH AND DECREASES IN OXIDATIVE STRESS AND INFLAMMATION. DATA GENERATED BY THESE STUDIES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND SCIENTIFICCOMMUNITIES IN PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS, PRESENTATIONS AT SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS, AND PRESS-RELEASES. BY CONDUCTING THESE STUDIES, WE WILL PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF DIETARY STRATEGIES THAT THEY CAN EMPLOY TO REDUCE THEIR RISK OF HYPERTENSION AND IMPROVE THEIR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH. FURTHER, IDENTIFYING THE MECHANISMS MEDIATING THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF BERRIES PROVIDES POTENTIAL NEW THERAPEUTIC TARGETS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION. THIS IS OF SIGNIFICANCE AS IT CAN HAVE A GREAT IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE, PRODUCTIVITY, AND ECONOMIC BURDEN FOR THE AFFECTED POPULATIONS. LASTLY, THIS CAN LEAD TO ADDITIONAL DEMAND FOR BLACKBERRY AND RASPBERRY DUE TO THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS RESULTING IN AGRICULTURAL EXPANSION IN PRODUCTION OF THESE BERRIES.