Potent Antihypertensive Action of Dietary Flaxseed in Hypertensive Patients

Abstract

Abstract-Flaxseed contains ω-3 fatty acids, lignans, and fiber that together may provide benefits to patients with cardiovascular disease. Animal work identified that patients with peripheral artery disease may particularly benefit from dietary supplementation with flaxseed. Hypertension is commonly associated with peripheral artery disease. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of daily ingestion of flaxseed on systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in peripheral artery disease patients. In this prospective, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, patients (110 in total) ingested a variety of foods that contained 30 g of milled flaxseed or placebo each day over 6 months. Plasma levels of the ω-3 fatty acid α-linolenic acid and enterolignans increased 2-to 50-fold in the flaxseed-fed group but did not increase significantly in the placebo group. Patient body weights were not significantly different between the 2 groups at any time. SBP was ≈10 mm Hg lower, and DBP was ≈7 mm Hg lower in the flaxseed group compared with placebo after 6 months.

Dietary Flaxseed Reduces Central Aortic Blood Pressure Without Cardiac Involvement but Through Changes in Plasma Oxylipins

“…7 However, this has not been determined. 5 Finally, it was important to determine whether specific plasma oxylipins were associated with higher cBP. Dietary flaxseed decreased the concentration of proinflammatory and vasoconstricting oxylipins in the FlaxPAD Trial, 6 but their relationship to cBP is unknown.…”

“…Ethical approval was obtained as described. 5,11 The baseline characteristics of the FlaxPAD participants are found elsewhere. 5,11 The majority of these patients were on one or more medications to lower blood sugar, lipids, BP, or thrombotic complications.…”

“…The α-linolenic acid (ALA) content of flaxseed was identified as the bioactive component responsible for the antihypertensive action of dietary flaxseed. 5,6 ALA directly inhibited the enzymatic activity of soluble epoxide hydrolase, which reduced the concentrations of vasoconstrictive and proinflammatory oxylipins derived from soluble epoxide hydrolase in the plasma of the patients. 6 This previous work was done through conventional measurements of brachial blood pressure (BP) in patients.…”

“…4 Recently, in the FlaxPAD trial (Flaxseed for Peripheral Artery Disease), 5 dietary flaxseed was a powerful nutritional intervention that reduced brachial systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in patients with hypertension and peripheral artery disease (PAD). 5 A striking 15 and 7 mm Hg reduction in brachial systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, respectively, was observed by 6 months. The α-linolenic acid (ALA) content of flaxseed was identified as the bioactive component responsible for the antihypertensive action of dietary flaxseed.…”

Role of lipids and lipoproteins in myocardial biology and in the development of heart failure

“…The Flaxseed for Peripheral Arterial Disease (FlaxPAD) Trial was a double-blinded randomized trial, in which patients with peripheral arterial disease, of whom 75% had hypertension, were randomized to 30 g of milled flaxseed or placebo daily for 6 months [100]. In the active treatment group, significant reductions of systolic (-10 595 mm Hg) and diastolic blood pressure (-7 mm Hg) were observed.…”