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Last Updated: Dec 27th, 2006 - 19:07:47 |
Two grams of fish oil supplement (i.e. salmon oil) per day can help reduce heart disease risk associated with diseased heart rate variability (HRV), which can be caused by tiny, dangerous airborne pollutant particles. These findings are suggested by new research published in the second issue of the Dec. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
HRV is a measure of the autonomic nervous system's ability to regulate heartbeat rate or heart rates. A decline of HRV indicates increased risk of arrhythmias, heart attack or sudden death.
The study of fish oil benefits, led by Dr. Fernando Holguin of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and colleagues, involved 50 subjects between 81 to 83 years old, who stayed home in Mexico City for 90 percent of the time.
For the six-month study, 26 were given fish oil supplements daily whereas 24 were assigned soy oil supplements. The heart rate variability was checked between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on alternate weekdays.
None of the participants suffered cardiac arrhythmias, had a pacemaker, or were being treated with oral anticoagulants. Prior to the study, they had low dietary intake of omega 3 fatty acids.
"In this randomized controlled trial, fish oil supplementation prevented the reduction in heart rate variability associated with the same-day exposure to indoor particulate matter," said Dr. Holguin.
"In contrast, soy oil, our comparison supplementation of plant-derived polyunsaturated fatty acids, was associated with a marginal, nonsignificant protection from the effects of particulate matter on heart rate variability."
"Fish oil as a source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids could be considered as a potential form of preventive measure to reduce the risk of arrhythmia and sudden death in elderly subjects exposed to ambient air pollution," said Dr. Holguin.
Air pollutant particles, particularly those fine particulates known as PM2.5, have been known to decrease HRV and increase cardiovascular inflammation risk, among other factors.
C. Arden Pope III et al. reported in the article "Heart Rate Variability Associated with Particulate Air Pollution" in AHJ 138(5):890-899, 1999 that elevated particulate levels are associated with a decline of HRV or reduction in cardiac autonomic function indicating a link between cardiovascular mortality and particulate air pollution.
The damaging effect of fine air pollutant particles on HRV was recently confirmed by S. D. Park et al. The results were published in Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Mar;113 (3):304-9.
Although the current study did not offer any direct evidence that omega 3 fatty acids are involved in the reduction a reduced HRV risk, previous studies did find that omega 3 fatty acids from fish oils may be responsible for the positive effect on HRV.
J. H. Christensen et al. reported in "Fish consumption, n-3 fatty acids in cell membranes, and heart rate variability in survivors of myocardial infarction with left ventricular dysfunction" in AJ Cardiol 1997 Jun 15;79(12):1670-3 that "the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in platelets was closely associated with the patient's fish-consuming habits, and a significant positive correlation was observed between the n-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid and heart rate variability."
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week.Fish oils high with omega-3 fatty acids are present abundantly in mackerel,lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon.
© 2004-2005 by foodconsumer.org unless otherwise specified
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