(Newsmax) - Supplements of the potent antioxidant resveratrol may reduce artery stiffness in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study that may explain how the compound in red wine boosts cardiovascular health.

The research, presented this week at the American Heart Association's 2017 Scientific Sessions in Minneapolis, suggests the compound may help boost the cardiovascular health in diabetics and others.

"This adds to emerging evidence that there may be interventions that may reverse the blood vessel abnormalities that occur with aging and are more pronounced in people with Type 2 diabetes and obesity," said the new study’s senior author, Dr. Naomi M. Hamburg, of the Boston University School of Medicine.

The researchers recruited 57 obese, middle-aged patients with Type 2 diabetes. Nearly two-thirds of the participants were African-American and slightly more than half were women.