Dietary n-3 PUFA and CVD: a review of the evidence

Abstract

Many clinical and epidemiological studies have shown that the polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA from fish and fish oils, provide cardiovascular protection, particularly in the setting of secondary prevention. n-3 Fatty acids beneficially influence a number of cardiometabolic risk factors including blood pressure, cardiac function, vascular reactivity and lipids, as well as having anti-platelet, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative actions. They do not appear to adversely interact with other medications such as statins and other lipid-lowering drugs or antihypertensive medications. n-3 Fatty acids have gained widespread usage by general practitioners and clinicians in a number of clinical settings such as pregnancy and infant development, secondary prevention in CHD patients, treatment of dyslipidaemias and haemodialysis patients. Small doses are achievable with consumption of two to three oily fish meals per week or via purified encapsulated preparations now readily available. n-3 Fatty acids, particularly when consumed as fish, should be considered an important component of a healthy diet. The present paper reviews the effects of n-3 fatty acids on cardiometabolic risk factors, concentrating particularly on the evidence from randomised controlled studies in human subjects.

A randomized controlled trial of the effects of n-3 fatty acids on resolvins in chronic kidney disease

“…They inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine production, increase antiinflammatory cytokine synthesis, and activate specific G-coupled protein receptors on neutrophils and macrophages to enhance clearance of cellular debris that is required for tissue homeostasis to be re-established [11,12]. n-3 fatty acids have been associated with cardiovascular protection and improve cardiovascular disease risk factors such as blood pressure, plasma triglycerides and inflammation [13,14]. We have also shown that n-3 fatty acid supplementation results in elevated levels of SPMs in healthy volunteers [15,16] suggesting that they may contribute to altered immune function.…”

Regulation of Coronary Arterial Large Conductance Ca²⁺-Activated K⁺ Channel Protein Expression and Function by n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Diabetic Rats

“…n-3 PUFAs are essential unsaturated fatty acids in humans and play a pivotal role on human health, conferring protective effects on patients with cardiovascular diseases [26,27,28]. n-3 PUFAs have been widely used in many chronic cardiovascular diseases due to there being no interactions with medicine and agents for the treatment of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and platelet aggregation [29,30]. However, n-3 PUFAs are not synthesized in the human body and can only be absorbed from dietary sources such as fish and fish oil or transformed from assimilated α-linolenic acid [31].…”

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that the administration of n-3 PUFAs reduced the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events through their beneficial antihyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antiarrhythmic, and anticoagulation effects [5,6,7]. Randomized clinical controlled trials have also shown that n-3 PUFAs not only protected the vascular function in DM, but also reduced the incidence of DM [8,9].…”

Effect of N3-Poliunsaturated Fatty Acids as Coadjuvant in the Antihypertensive Treatment in Spanish Postmenopausal Women

“…Some meta-analysis and reviews have attributed this discrepancy to the variability of several critical factors, like dosage, sample size, timing and duration of the treatment and the patient's selection criteria [18][19][20]. Althought some data have demonstrated the diminution of arterial tension (AT) with n-3 PUFAs in the essential hipertension [18,21,22], it was suggested that the supplementation with diet could be more appropriate in the prevention strategies than in the AHT treatment [18]. Nutritional supplements rich in n-3 PUFAs can decrease the AT.…”