Omega-3 Fatty Acid May Protect Heart

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Omega-3 Fatty Acid May Protect Heart
EPA, a Fatty Acid in Fish Oil, May Prevent Nonfatal Heart Problems
By Miranda Hitti

WebMD Medical NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDMarch 29, 2007 -- An omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil may help prevent nonfatal heart problems in some people with high cholesterol, a Japanese study shows.

The omega-3 fatty acid is called EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). It's found in fish such as salmon and mackerel, along with another fatty acid called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

The Japanese study looked at more than 18,600 adults with high cholesterol, including 3,660 people with a history of coronary artery disease.

The coronary arteries supply blood to heart muscle. Unhealthy coronary arteries make heart attacks more likely, and high cholesterol is a risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Study participants were followed for more than four years, on average. During that time, they all took cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.

The researchers assigned half the participants to also take pills containing highly purified EPA. For comparison, the other participants only took their statins, with no EPA pills.

Then the researchers tracked major coronary events, such as sudden cardiac death, fatal or nonfatal heart attack, or other nonfatal heart problems, in both groups for 4.6 years, on average.

EPA Advantage
During the study, the vast majority of patients had no major heart problems.

However, 2.8% of those taking EPA along with statins experienced a major coronary event, compared with 3.5% of those only taking statins.

That's a 19% difference, note the researchers, who included Mitsuhiro Yokoyama, MD, of Kobe University in Kobe, Japan.

EPA pills weren't linked to any difference in fatal heart attacks or sudden cardiac death.

When Yokoyama's team took a closer look at the data, they found the EPA advantage only applied to patients with a known history of coronary artery disease.

Patients with high cholesterol but no history of coronary artery disease may also get some heart protection from EPA, but that's not certain, since so few of them had major heart problems during the study.

The researchers conclude that EPA is a "promising treatment" for the prevention of heart problems in Japanese patients with high cholesterol.

Study's Limits
Fish is a staple of the traditional Japanese diet. That may partly explain why EPA pills didn't seem to curb fatal heart events. "Our patients could possibly all have had intakes of fish that were above the threshold for prevention of fatal coronary events or sudden cardiac death," write Yokoyama and colleagues.

The researchers didn't ask patients about their diets.

Yokoyama's team also warns that the findings might not apply to people who don't eat lots of fish. "EPA might affect risk only at very high levels of fish intake, such as those common in Japan," they write.

Lastly, the researchers note that they only tested EPA pills, not fish or fish oil. The pills were made in Japan by Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., which funded the study.

Curbing Heart Problems
The study appears in The Lancet, along with an editorial by Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, MPH, DrPH, of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Mozaffarian points out that the study didn't include a group taking an inactive pill (placebo) along with their statins.

Still, the drop in nonfatal heart events in those taking EPA and statins "should not necessarily be discounted," writes Mozaffarian.

He commends the Japanese researchers for their work and calls for further studies.

Mozaffarian takes a back-to-basics approach to preventing heart problems. For instance, he notes in his editorial that modest dietary changes are less risky, less costly, and more accessible than drugs, invasive procedures, or devices.

"We must curb our infatuation with downstream risk factors and treatments, and focus on the fundamental risk factors for cardiovascular disease: dietary habits, smoking, and physical activity," writes Mozaffarian.

SOURCES: Yokoyama, M. The Lancet, March 31, 2007; vol 369: pp 1090-1098. Mozaffarian, D. The Lancet, March 31, 2007; vol 369: pp 1062-1063.

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Omega-3 fatty acid balance influences depression risk

A report scheduled to be published online in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine concluded that Americans need to improve their ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids if we want to reduce depression and inflammatory diseases.

Ohio State University professor of psychiatry and psychology Jan Kiecolt-Glaser and colleagues studied 43 middle-aged to elderly men and women, of whom nearly half were the caregivers of spouses with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, which is known to confer a significant amount of stress. The participants' blood was analyzed for interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor -alpha (TNF-alpha) and the receptor molecule for IL-6, all involved in inflammation. Completed questionnaires provided information on diet and depression levels.

It was found that participants who consumed more omega-6 compared to omega-3 fatty acids and who reported more symptoms of depression had significantly higher levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha.

"In this study, we're looking at the intersection of behavior, immune function and diet. In past experiments, we concentrated only on the first two," Dr Kiecolt-Glaser commented. "It now appears that diet is a very important variable in the equation as to how people respond to depression and stress."

"The data suggest that higher depression and a poorer diet in terms of omega-3 can work together to promote inflammation. Other researchers have shown that clinically depressed people -- those with more severe depression -- often have lower omega-3 levels in their blood, and several studies have shown that supplementing diets with omega-3 improves depression," he noted. "People who are depressed don't eat well, or it might be that there is something about depression that affects how well people process such foods."

Coauthor Martha Belury added, "The important message for consumers is that they don't have to take mega-doses of omega-3 to have some impact."


http://www.lef.org/whatshot/index.html#ofab

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Low dose DHA reduces diastolic blood pressure

A report published in the April, 2007 issue of The Journal of Nutrition concludes that supplementing with a low dose of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid found in fish and the algae they feed on, lowers diastolic blood pressure in middle-aged men and women.

Thomas A. B. Sanders of King's College London and his British colleagues randomized 20 men and 18 women aged 40 to 65 to receive 0.7 grams DHA derived from algae or an olive oil placebo daily for three months. The treatment period was followed by an intervening period of at least four months during which no supplement was given, succeeded by another three months during which each group was given the supplement the other group had received in the initial treatment phase. Blood pressure was measured, and blood and urine samples were collected and tested at the beginning and end of each treatment period.

Treatment with DHA resulted in a 58 percent increase in the DHA content of red blood cells, accompanied by a reduction in the proportions of omega-6 fatty acids. Although measures of arterial stiffness and endothelial function did not change during the short periods of DHA administration, diastolic blood pressure was lowered by an average of 3.3. mm HG and heart rate was reduced by 2.1 beats per minute after DHA administration compared to after the placebo period.

"A significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure was noted which is likely to be of clinical significance with regard to risk of future vascular events in middle-aged subjects," the authors conclude. "Future work is needed to confirm these findings and to investigate further the effects of DHA on cardiac function.


—D Dye

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DHA & EPA Omega-3 Fatty Acids From Fish Oil

More great news on the benefits of a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids!

Filling your dinner plate with fish, at least twice a week, may be one of the best changes you can make to your diet. Evidence continues to mount for the many health benefits of regular fish consumption, from a properly-pumping heart to strong, capable bones to a happy, more positive outlook on life.

Fish, especially those harvested from cold waters, contain the omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA's) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These nutrients are "essential" because they're necessary for proper growth and development, yet they can't be produced by the body itself, but rather must be obtained through dietary sources.

Health Benefits of Omega-3's

Besides being crucial for fetal and infant brain development, and cellular health throughout life, research suggests omega-3 EFA's offer remarkable benefits for cardiovascular wellness. These benefits were first recognized decades ago when researchers identified that Inuit (Eskimo) cultures, whose diets were rich in fish, showed very little incidence of cardiovascular complication.

Today, the American Heart Association (AHA) urges men and women to eat fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon, or to supplement with fish oil in capsule form, to maintain heart health. A Scientific Statement was released by the AHA summarizing findings from randomized, controlled clinical trials showing the many positive effects of omega-3's. (Read the full article here.)

Additional research shows that omega-3's may contribute to healthy cognitive function, mood and behavior. A University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study found that individuals with low levels of omega-3's in their blood reported mild to moderate poor mood, while those with higher levels had more agreeable dispositions1. Outcomes of a Rush University study demonstrated that fish consumption once a week slowed memory loss at a rate of 10 percent per year, or up to 13 percent for those who ate fish more frequently2

Omega 3's are also believed to contribute to bone health. University of California, San Diego, researchers examined the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and dietary intake of omega-6 and omega-3 EFA's in 1,532 men and women over a four-year period. Authors concluded a more balanced intake of omega-6s to omega-3s could preserve skeletal integrity in older age3.

What to Look for in Omega-3 Supplements

When choosing omega-3 EFA supplements, it's important to look for products that have been "molecularly distilled." Because mercury or other heavy-metal contaminants may present in some deep-water fish, this process ensures that any trace of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or chemicals are removed so you consume only pure, potent fish oil.

Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) offers an extensive variety of high-quality, molecularly-distilled fish oil products, such as our Mega EFA, which contains 400 mg of EPA, 200 mg of DHA and 140 mg of other omega-3's per serving. This exceptional product is also available in lemon-flavored liquid form, delivering 750 mg of EPA and DHA in an optimal ratio.

Unlike other brands, which may utilize lower-potency material, therefore requiring you to take several capsules per day, NSI® fish oil supplements deliver optimum potency, and are available at an incredible value.

Non-Fish EFA Sources

For those who prefer not to consume fish or fish oil, but want to increase intake of EFA's, be sure to check out NSI®'s flax, borage and black currant oils. Derived from the seeds of plants, these oils are great sources of omega-3 alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and omega-6 gamma linolenic acid (GLA).

NSI® flax products are available in softgel form (Organic Flaxseed Oil), providing 1,000 mg of pure, organic flaxseed oil per serving. Or, choose from Organic High Lignan Flax Oil (which has a light "nutty" taste and can be drizzled on bread, soups, salads and more) and Organic Cold-Milled Flaxseed (to sprinkle on breakfast cereals, yogurt and smoothies or add to muffins and other baked goods).

Other EFA options include NSI® Black Currant Oil, delivering both ALA and GLA, and NSI® Borage Oil, providing GLA and omega-9 oleic acid. Both are in capsule form, with dosages varying from 300 mg up to 1,300 mg per serving.

1. newsbureau.upmc.com/Medsurg3/Omega3.htm

2. Martha Clare Morris, ScD; Denis A. Evans, MD; Christine C. Tangney, PhD; Julia L. Bienias, ScD; Robert S. Wilson, PhD. Fish Consumption and Cognitive Decline With Age in a Large Community Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Sep;82(3):668-74.

3. Weiss, LA; Barrett-Connor, E; von Muhlen, D. Ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids and bone mineral density in older adults: the Rancho Bernardo Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr; 81(4):934-8.

http://www.vitacost.com/DHAandEPA.html