Omega-3 fatty acid intake may lower CV risk in those with family history of heart disease
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Key takeaways:
- Low intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and family history of CVD together confer elevated CVD risk.
- Foods rich in omega-3s include oily fish, nuts and leafy vegetables.
Higher intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, or omega-3s, may reduce risk for heart disease in those with a family history of CVD, according to data published in Circulation.
Foods high in polyunsaturated fatty acids include fish, nuts, flax seeds and leafy vegetables, according to a guide by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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“Among the dietary factors, particular attention in CVD prevention has been given to the quantity and type of fat consumed. High intake of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, from oily fish and vegetable oils or nuts, has been consistently recommended for the prevention of CVD, while a balance between energy intake and expenditure is maintained,” Federica Laguzzi, PhD, assistant professor in the unit of cardiovascular and nutritional epidemiology in the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues wrote. “CVD tends to aggregate in families, a phenomenon partly explained by a genetic component of CVD, as demonstrated in twin studies. ... To our knowledge, no study to date has examined biomarkers of polyunsaturated fatty acids in combination with data on family history to assess interactions.”
Laguzzi and colleagues conducted the present harmonized pooled analysis of 15 observational studies, including 40,885 participants across 10 countries, to assess whether a diet low in polyunsaturated fatty acids modified CVD risk in people with and without a family history of heart disease.
Family history was defined as a participant having a parent or sibling with a fatal or nonfatal CVD, irrespective of their age at diagnosis.
Between-study heterogeneity was reported to be low to moderate (I2 < 60%).
Biomarkers of polyunsaturated fatty acids intake were measured in phospholipids, red blood cells, total serum, plasma, cholesterol esters and adipose tissue as percentages of total fatty acids, according to the study.
Levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids at or below the 25th percentile reflected low intake of linoleic, alpha-linolenic or eicosapentaenoic/docosahexaenoic acids (EPA/DHA).
Laguzzi and colleagues reported that of the three polyunsaturated fatty acids, low level of EPA/DHA was the only one with significant association with CVD.
Compared with those with neither low EPA/DHA nor family history of CVD, the researchers observed a significant association between low EPA/DHA, family history and RR for CVD:
- low EPA/DHA and family history (RR = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.3-1.54);
- family history alone (RR = 1.25; 95% CI, 1.16-1.33); and
- low EPA/DHA alone (RR = 1.06; 95% CI, 0.98-1.14).
“The findings from this study suggest that low blood/tissue levels of omega-3 EPA/DHA, reflecting a low intake of fats present in oily fish, may potentiate the risk of CVD in those already at increased risk because of family history,” the researchers wrote. “Low blood/tissue levels of omega-6 linoleic and omega-3 alpha-linolenic, reflecting a low intake of fats present in vegetable oils and nuts, were not associated with amplification of CVD risk. Although these results should be interpreted with caution, it seems reasonable to conclude that our results support the current cardiovascular prevention guidelines regarding the consumption of foods rich in omega-3 EPA/DHA (ie, oily fish), especially for people with a family history of CVD.”
Reference:
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: An Essential Contribution. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/types-of-fat/omega-3-fats/. Accessed Dec. 7, 2023.
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