Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Blood Pressure Control and Essential Hypertension

Abstract

Hypertension is a worldwide problem that affects up to % of adults and contributes to the global burden of disability due to cardiovascular disease. Several factors influence blood pressure and participate to the development of hypertension. "mong these factors, polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-family omega-PUF" are effective hypotensive agents. Through their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, omega-PUF" can improve cardiac hemodynamics and vascular function and potentially reduce arterial stiffness and atherosclerotic damage. However, despite this promising evidence many meta-analyses on the cardiovascular effect of omega-PUF" were inconclusive. The choice of the omega-PUF" sources, baseline tissue content of these fatty acids, and individual compliance to their intake can be reasons for such a discrepancy between studies. "asic and clinical research on these fatty acids documents interesting mechanisms through which these molecules could be useful in the treatment of hypertension and its related organ damage. The role of the maternal dietary habit during pregnancy and the quality of prenatal growth on the effect of omega-PUF" in cardiovascular system need further investigations. This chapter summarizes the literature of the past years on the antihypertensive effects of this family of essential fatty acids.

Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Improved Arterial Stiffness Parameters in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy

“…The prescription of ω-3 PUFAs was associated with improvement of arterial stiffness parameters and this effect was not connected to changes in body mass index, heart rate and blood pressure (BP). At a recent time in a larger randomized controlled trial on healthy persons the same author showed that a high dose ω-3 fish oil consumption (6 g/day) could reduce two indirect measurements of arterial stiffness and central BP, namely aortic pulse pressure and AIxao [11,7].…”

“…The inverse association between the level of circulatory ω-3 PUFAs or of its consumption and the brachial artery cross-sectional diameter has been reported by some authors. It was demonstrated that the content of ω-3 PUFAs in membrane is directly associated with the degree of vasodilatation observed after sublingual nitrate intake, that can serve as evidence of their beneficial effect on the vascular wall [7]. Ω-3 PUFA dose-dependently prevent the diabetes manifestation, decrease insulin resistance (IR), improve the sensitivity of platelets to collagen and ADP, lead to positive changes in endothelial cells migration and the coagulation parameters, enhance and inhibit smooth muscle cells proliferation [5,18].…”

“…Aging and atherosclerosis are the leading causes of the arterial stiffening due to vascular elasticity loss. Arterial stiffening depends from the distribution of extracellular proteins along the arterial wall, its balance and structural properties of the arterial wall [6,7]. Arterial stiffening occurs as a consequence of biological aging and is closely associated with several conditions leading to increased cardiac risk such as hypertension, obesity, smoking and T2D.…”

PATHOGENETIC MECHANISMS AND THERAPEUTIC ASPECTS OF OMEGA-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS IN DIABETES MELLITUS (literature review and own data)

“…and blood pressure Omega-3 PUFAs intake has shown to reduce BP especially in hypertensive patients by interacting with several mechanisms of blood pressure regulation: reduction of stroke volume and heart rate (HR); improvement of left ventricular (LV) diastolic filling; reduction of peripheral vascular resistances; improvement of endothelial-dependent and endothelial-independent vasodilation (stimulation of NO production; reduction of the asymmetric di-methyl-arginine; reduction of endothelin-1; relaxation of vascular smooth muscle cells; metabolic effects on perivascular adipocytes; endothelial regeneration. Mechanisms of hypertension-related organ damage protection: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antithrombotic effects; reduction of arterial stiffness; experimental effects on LV hypertrophy and abnormal gene expression; effects on atherosclerotic plaque progression and stability [57].…”

“…Огляди measurement of velocity of the pulse-wave velocity (PWV) between two vascular points is an accepted method to assess arterial stiffness [57].…”