The Effect of N-6 and N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Hemostasis, Blood Lipids and Blood Pressure

Abstract

SummaryDiverging results from studies of marine oil supplementation to western diets initiated the undertaking of a double-blind crossover study, with administration to healthy volunteers for 4 weeks of either 10 g of fish oil or 10 g of vegetable oil. Each oil containing approx. 40% of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) respectively. During the n-3 PUFA period, systolic blood pressure, plasma total lipids, triglycerides and VLDL concentrations fell significantly whereas plasma antithrombin-III (AT-III) rose. Cutaneous bleeding time increased significantly. In contrast only AT-III rose during the n-6 PUFA feeding, however, more marked than during the n-3 oil period. It is concluded that a n-3 PUFA oil supplement to the western diet exerts an effect that generally is considered as beneficial in terms of the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. It is in this respect superior to that of n-6 PUFA, stressing the necessity of a more differentiated approach to advices on dietary PUFA enrichment than presently is exerted.

Serum phospholipid and cholesteryl ester fatty acids and estimated desaturase activities are related to overweight and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents

“…39 Long-chain PUFAs EPA and docosahexenoic acid are known to be inversely associated with CVD risk factors, and fish consumption is inversely associated with CVD risk of myocardial infarction. [40][41][42] However, in this study and others, 26,43,44 EPA was positively related to some CVD risk factors. It has been suggested that the positive relation between the proportion of EPA in plasma and CVD risk factors may be explained by the fatty acid composition of the diet and competition for the same enzymes in the process of elongation and desaturation.…”

Association of Dietary Fish and n-3 Fatty Acid Intake With Hemostatic Factors in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

“…[13][14][15][16] However, other studies found no association of dietary fish or fish oil intake with coagulation factors. 17,18 Adipose tissue analysis conducted as a marker of dietary lipids also did not show any relationship between n-3 fatty acids and fibrinogen. 19 Despite the large number of studies on supplementation with fish oil and n-3 fatty acids on hemostatic factors, data on the relationships of habitual fish consumption or different n-3 fatty acid intakes and hemostatic factors in epidemiological studies are sparse.…”

Lack of effect on blood pressure by low fat diets with different fatty acid compositions

“…35 Trials with n-3 fatty acids have indicated that very high intakes of fatty fish and supplementation with fish oil concentrates decrease both SBP and diastolic BP (DBP). [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] In one study both fish oil and corn oil lowered BP in elderly subjects, 47 and another study indicated that linoleic acid might lower BP in individuals with a low intake of n-3 fatty acids. 48 In 1980-1981 three consecutive trials with fatmodified diets were conducted among groups of middle-aged inhabitants of the North Karelia Province in eastern Finland.…”