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Increases in the omega‐3 index with supplementation predict reductions in blood pressure at rest and during acute stress
Author(s) -
SkulasRay Ann C.,
Harris William S.,
KrisEtherton Penny M.,
West Sheila G.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.107.8
Subject(s) - docosahexaenoic acid , eicosapentaenoic acid , blood pressure , placebo , crossover study , medicine , mean arterial pressure , cardiology , zoology , chemistry , fatty acid , polyunsaturated fatty acid , biology , heart rate , biochemistry , alternative medicine , pathology
The omega‐3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may reduce chronic disease risk by reducing mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). The effects of a lower dose of EPA+DHA (0.85 g/d; LOW) and a higher dose (3.4 g/d; HIGH) were examined in 26 healthy adults with unmedicated blood pressure < 150/95 mmHg in a placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, randomized crossover trial (8 wk treatment, 6 wk washout). MAP was compared at rest, during two laboratory stressor tasks (simulated public speech and cold pressor test), and during recovery periods. In addition to testing main treatment effects, we modeled the response with regression using change in erythrocyte fatty acid EPA+DHA (the Omega‐3 Index) as a predictor of change in MAP. Resting MAP was 2.3–2.5 mmHg lower following the HIGH treatment compared to the placebo and LOW treatments (p<0.05). MAP across the stressor testing session was reduced by 2 mmHg following the HIGH treatment compared to the other groups (p<0.05). Increases in the Omega‐3 Index were significantly predictive of reductions in resting MAP (R 2 = 16%, β = −1.18, p = 0.008), and average MAP during the testing session (R 2 = 25%, β = −1.44, p = 0.001). This provides evidence that blood pressure reductions are linearly related to increases in the Omega‐3 Index. Grant Funding Source : National Fisheries Institute, GlaxoSmithKline