Cardiovascular disease, a broad category of conditions that affect the heart and circulatory system, is the number one killer in the world – claiming the lives of nearly 18 million people every year. Identifying ways to protect the heart is important, especially as the body ages and risk increases. Recent evidence suggest that omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Episode highlights

• 00:00:00
  Introduction
• 00:00:25
  Omega-3 types
• 00:01:01
  Health effects
• 00:01:18
  Early heart research
• 00:01:47
  How to design better trials
• 00:02:09
  Mortality and aging
• 00:02:55
  SPMs and inflammation
• 00:05:00
  Profound reduction in triglycerides

Omega-3s protect the heart

"People with the highest blood levels of combined EPA and DHA were 10-17% less likely to die prematurely and were 9-21% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, compared to those with the lowest levels."- Dr. Rhonda Patrick Click To Tweet

Omega-3 fatty acids include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA is found mainly in plant oils such as flaxseed, soybean, and canola oils. DHA and EPA are found in fish and other seafood. The human body can convert some ALA into EPA and then to DHA, but the process is very inefficient, with most healthy adults converting only about 5 to 10 percent to EPA and 2 to 5 percent to DHA.

EPA and DHA play particularly important roles in heart health because they participate in pathways involved in the production of hormones that regulate blood clotting and inflammation, help maintain healthy heart rhythms, and influence the contraction and relaxation of arteries.

Over the past several decades, studies investigating the heart-health effects of omega-3s have been inconsistent, with some studies showing benefits, and others not. Some of these inconsistencies are due to differences in study designs, especially when the studies are based on dietary records, which are often inaccurate. However, studies based on blood concentrations of omega-3s can provide a more accurate measure of exposure – and risk.

A recent meta-analysis investigated links between omega-3 blood concentrations and the risk for all causes of premature death. They found that compared to people with the lowest blood concentrations of EPA and DHA (combined), those with the highest blood concentrations were as much as 17 percent less likely to die from all causes of premature death and were as much as 21 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease – a robust level of protection.

Mitigating drivers of cardiovascular disease

One of the key drivers of cardiovascular disease is inflammation. Inflammation promotes the production of small, dense lipoprotein particles. These small particles circulate in the plasma, where they can bind with toxic molecules called lipopolysaccharides, promoting plaque formation and subsequent blockages – the hallmarks of atherosclerosis. Avoiding chronic exposure to inflammation may be one of the single most important things we do for our health as we age.

It turns out that byproducts of omega-3 fatty acid metabolism, called specialized pro-resolving mediators, or SPMs for short, reduce inflammation. The three families of omega-3-derived SPMs – the resolvins, protectins, and maresins – promote apoptosis, regulate leukocyte activity, and reduce the production of proinflammatory molecules. Omega-3 fatty acids promote dose-dependent increases in blood SPM levels that persist for up to 24 hours.

Other drivers of cardiovascular disease are triglycerides – the primary component of very-low-density lipoproteins.Having high triglycerides (200 to 499 mg/dL) or very high triglycerides (higher than 500 mg/dL) can increase a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease. But high-dose prescription omega-3s can reduce triglycerides by 30 percent or more, reducing the risk of experiencing a major cardiovascular event – such as a heart attack – by 25 percent.

In this short episode, Dr. Rhonda Patrick describes the heart-health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and describes some of the mechanisms by which these essential nutrients work.

Relevant publications

• Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total and cause-specific mortality from 17 prospective studies
• Enriched Marine Oil Supplements Increase Peripheral Blood Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators Concentrations and Reprogram Host Immune Responses
• Cardiovascular Risk Reduction with Icosapent Ethyl for Hypertriglyceridemia
• Oral (n-3) fatty acid supplementation suppresses cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation: comparison between young and older women