Serum long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, methylmercury and blood pressure in an older population

Virtanen, Jyrki K.; Nyantika, A. N.; Kauhanen, Jussi; Voutilainen, Sari; Tuomainen, Tomi‐Pekka

doi:10.1038/hr.2012.80

Cited by 24 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Previously, in this study population, higher serum long-chain n-3 PUFA concentration has been inversely associated with risk factors for stroke, such as high blood pressure (34) , CRP (35) and atrial fibrillation (36) , and with lower risk of sudden cardiac death (35) , CHD (37) and CVD (22) . Despite the inverse associations with the risk factors, in the present study, higher serum long-chain n-3 PUFA concentration was not associated with lower risk of stroke.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations of serum n-3 and n-6 PUFA and hair mercury with the risk of incident stroke in men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD)

et al. 2016

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PUFA have been associated with lower risk of CVD, but less is known about their association with stroke risk. Fish, a major source of n-3 PUFA, may also contain methylmercury, which has been associated with higher risk of CVD and attenuation of the benefits of long-chain n-3 PUFA. We investigated the associations of serum n-3 and n-6 PUFA and hair Hg with risk of stroke in men. A total of 1828 men from the prospective, population-based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, aged 42-60 years and free of CVD at baseline in 1984-1989 were studied. Cox regression models were used for the analyses. During the mean follow-up of 21·2 years, 202 stroke cases occurred, of which 153 were ischaemic strokes. After adjustment for age and examination year, the only statistically significant association among the n-3 and n-6 PUFA was observed between the n-3 PUFA α-linolenic acid and risk of haemorrhagic stroke (hazard ratio in the highest v. the lowest quartile 0·33; 95 % CI 0·13, 0·86; P trend = 0·03). However, further adjustments attenuated the association to statistically non-significant. Hair Hg was not associated with stroke risk, but among those with hair Hg above the median level, higher serum long-chain n-3 PUFA concentrations were associated with a higher risk of ischaemic stroke. In our cohort of men, serum n-3 or n-6 PUFA or hair Hg were not associated with stroke risk; however, the interaction between Hg and long-chain n-3 PUFA with regard to ischaemic stroke risk warrants further investigation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations of serum n-3 and n-6 PUFA and hair mercury with the risk of incident stroke in men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD)

et al. 2016

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“…7 Intriguingly, when this association was adjusted by n-3 PUFA and selenium, the association between methylmercury and BP became more prominent. In the present analysis, 6 the methylmercury level in hair was not associated with BP and it did not modify the association between n-3 PUFA and BP. The discrepant results may be partly derived from the differences in culture among the study populations; for example, BP levels of non-fish consumers are likely to be influenced by methylmercury intake.…”

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confidence: 55%

“…1 These are important confounding factors in the association between n-3 PUFA and BP. In fact, in the present study, 6 subjects with high circulating n-3 PUFA levels were likely to have a higher income, education, urinary potassium excretion and vegetable (excluding potatoes) intake, and a lower intake of energy and meat and meat products, and were less likely to smoke. Even though the authors adjusted for such confounding factors, residual confounding due to unknown or incompletely measured characteristics could partly explain the present findings.…”

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confidence: 91%

“…In the current issue of Hypertension Research, Virtanen et al 6 strengthen the association between n-3 PUFA and BP by using a cross-sectional analysis (n ¼ 768) that includes middle-aged and older subjects, and those who did not have a previous history of ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes or hypertension treatment. They showed that circulatory n-3 PUFA levels were inversely associated with systolic BP and pulse pressure but not with diastolic BP.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…11 Moreover, some large prospective studies have demonstrated that higher circulating DHA levels, but not higher EPA levels, were inversely associated with the incidence of heart failure or atrial fibrillation, and both these pathophysiologies can be attributed in part to high BP burden. 12,13 In the present study, 6 Virtanen et al, examined the association of BP levels with EPA, DHA or docosapentaenoic acid. They found that each of the associations were similar.…”

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Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and blood pressure

Yano

2012

Hypertens Res

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A large body of evidence from experimental, clinical and epidemiological research has demonstrated the potential benefits of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for cardiovascular health, such as anti-atherogenic effects, plaque stability effects, improvement of endothelial or platelet function and anti-arrhythmic effects. 1 These beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA are derived from a myriad of molecular pathways, including alteration of the physicochemical properties of cell and organelle-membrane structure and function, direct interaction with and modulation of membrane channels and proteins, regulation of gene expression through nuclear receptors and transcription factors, changes in arachidonic acid-derived eicosanoid profiles and conversion of n-3 PUFA to bioactive metabolites. 1 One of the recent topics in the field of n-3 PUFA research is its effects on blood pressure (BP) levels. Although the results of the different studies have not been consistent, several observational studies have demonstrated an association of n-3 PUFA with low BP levels and interventional studies using n-3 PUFA supplementation have shown its BP-lowering effects. The population-based International Study of Macro-and Micronutrients and Blood Pressure surveyed 4680 men and women aged 40-59 from 17 population samples and found an inverse association between BP and n-3 PUFA intake from foods while controlling for multiple possible confounders, although the estimated size of the effect was small, that is, o1.0 mm Hg with 1.9 g per day higher n-3 PUFA intake (about 1.9 g per day). 2 In interventional studies, Appel et al. 3 estimated that BP was reduced by À1.0/ À0.5 mm Hg in normotensive subjects and by À5.5/ À3.5 mm Hg in untreated hypertensive subjects for an average supplementation with 43 g per day of n-3 PUFA, suggesting that the BP-lowering effect of n-3 PUFA is stronger in hypertensive subjects. In addition, a meta-analysis showed that the anti-hypertensive effects of n-3 PUFA were dose-dependent ( À0.66/ À0.35 mm Hg g À1 n-3 PUFA) and the effects tended to be larger in middle-aged and older persons (X45 years) or those with excess clinical atherosclerotic burden. 4,5 The postulated mechanisms of the hypotensive effects of n-3 PUFA are summarized in Figure 1.In the current issue of Hypertension Research, Virtanen et al. 6 strengthen the association between n-3 PUFA and BP by using a cross-sectional analysis (n ¼ 768) that includes middle-aged and older subjects, and those who did not have a previous history of ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes or hypertension treatment. They showed that circulatory n-3 PUFA levels were inversely associated with systolic BP and pulse pressure but not with diastolic BP. As the present study was conducted at relatively high age (mean ageBp60 years), the clinical implication of diastolic BP seems to have less impact than systolic BP. In this study, BP was measured by the mean of six BP values in an office setting and the se...

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Erythrocyte membrane docosapentaenoic acid levels are associated with islet autoimmunity: the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young

et al. 2013

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Aims/hypotheses We previously reported that lower n-3 fatty acid intake and levels in erythrocyte membranes were associated with increased risk of islet autoimmunity (IA) but not progression to type 1 diabetes in children at increased risk for diabetes. We hypothesise that specific n-3 fatty acids and genetic markers contribute synergistically to this increased risk of IA in the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY). Methods DAISY is following 2547 children at increased risk for type 1 diabetes for the development of IA, defined as being positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)65, IA-2 or insulin autoantibodies on two consecutive visits. Using a case-cohort design, erythrocyte membrane fatty acids and dietary intake were measured prospectively in 58 IA-positive children and 299 IA-negative children. Results Lower membrane levels of the n-3 fatty acid, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), were predictive of IA (HR 0.23; 95% CI 0.09,0.55), while alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were not, adjusting for HLA and diabetes family history. We examined whether the effect of dietary intake of the n-3 fatty acid ALA on IA risk was modified by fatty acid elongation and desaturation genes. Adjusting for HLA, diabetes family history, ethnicity, energy intake and questionnaire type, ALA intake was significantly more protective for IA in the presence of an increasing number of minor alleles at FADS1 rs174556 (pinteraction=0.017), at FADS2 rs174570 (pinteraction=0.016) and at FADS2 rs174583 (pinteraction=0.045). Conclusions/interpretation The putative protective effect of n-3 fatty acids on IA may result from a complex interaction between intake and genetically-controlled fatty acid desaturation.

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Serum long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, methylmercury and blood pressure in an older population

Cited by 24 publications

References 40 publications

Associations of serum n-3 and n-6 PUFA and hair mercury with the risk of incident stroke in men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD)

Associations of serum n-3 and n-6 PUFA and hair mercury with the risk of incident stroke in men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD)

Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and blood pressure

Erythrocyte membrane docosapentaenoic acid levels are associated with islet autoimmunity: the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young

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