Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help with Blood Vessel Plaques

by | Dec 4, 2009 | 2009, Cardiovascular Health, Circulatory Health, DHA

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In a study of 41 patients, the 17 patients with atherosclerotic plaques and neurological symptoms had 51% lower DHA levels and 44% lower EPA levels than the 24 patients with atherosclerotic plaques and no neurological symptoms.

Atherosclerosis is defined by the American Heart Association as “the narrowing of the coronary arteries due to fatty build ups of plaque” (1). These plaques can significantly reduce blood flow but cause the most damage when they become fragile and rupture. Ruptured plaques block blood flow, break off and cause either a heart attack or a stroke, which cost our healthcare system $151.6 and $62.7 billion each year, respectively (2).

Now a new study (3) has found that omega-3 fatty acids help maintain blood vessel health and have positive effects on atherosclerotic plaques. In the study, researchers obtained blood vessel plaque samples from 41 patients aged 44 to 84 and with 50% blockage of their carotid artery. Twenty-four of the patients had no symptoms from the plaque blockage, while 17 had neurological symptoms (weakness, numbness of limbs) from the plaques.  The researchers measured the omega-3 levels in the plaques to see if there was any correlation between omega-3 and omega-6 levels and neurological symptoms.

Compared to the patients with no symptoms, those with neurological symptoms had “significantly diminished” omega-3 levels.  Specifically, those with symptoms had DHA levels that were 51% lower (545.8 nanograms/gram vs. 270.7 ng/g) and EPA levels that were 44% lower (385.9 ng/g vs. 216.4 ng/g).  The researchers attribute the absence of symptoms in the patients with high omega-3 levels in the plaques to omega-3 fats’ ability to decrease clotting platelet aggregation (4), relax blood vessels (5), and stabilize plaques (6). What was surprising was there were no differences seen with omega-6 fats in the plaques between the groups.

For the researchers, “Carotid plaques from neurologically symptomatic patients are inflammatory and have decreased intra-plaque levels of omega-3 fatty acids” and suggest that “Future trials [should] determine whether interventions that increase omega-3 fatty acid incorporation into carotid plaques prevent stroke and improve the safety of carotid interventions.”

Source: Bazan, Hernan A., et al. “Diminished omega-3 fatty acids are associated with carotid plaques from neurologically symptomatic patients: Implications for carotid interventions.” Vascular pharmacology 51.5 (2009): 331-336.

© 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Posted December 4, 2009.

References:

  1. “Cardiovascular Disease Cost” posted on the American Heart Association website.
  2. American Heart Association Update.  Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2007 Update.  Circulation. 2007;115:e69-e171.
  3. Bazan HA.  Diminished omega-3 fatty acids are associated with carotid plaques from neurologically symptomatic patients: Implications for carotid interventions.  Vascular Pharmacology 2009; 51(5-6): 331-336.
  4. M. Dona, G. Fredman, J.M. Schwab, N. Chiang, M. Arita and A. Goodarzi et al., Resolvin E1, an EPA-derived mediator in whole blood, selectively counterregulates leukocytes and platelets, Blood. 112 (2008), pp. 848–855.
  5. D.R. Morgan, L.J. Dixon, C.G. Hanratty, N. El-Sherbeeny, P.B. Hamilton and L.T. McGrath et al., Effects of dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on endothelium-dependent vasodilation in patients with chronic heart failure, Am J Cardiol. 97 (2006), pp. 547–551.
  6. F. Thies, J.M. Garry, P. Yaqoob, K. Rerkasem, J. Williams and C.P. Shearman et al., Association of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with stability of atherosclerotic plaques: a randomised controlled trial, Lancet. 361 (2003), pp. 477–485.