Fish oil fatty acids and vascular reactivity

Jackson, K. G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0070-3203 and Minihane, A. M. (2013) Fish oil fatty acids and vascular reactivity. In: Watson, R. R. and Preedy, V. R. (eds.) Bioactive food as dietary interventions for cardiovascular disease. Bioactive foods in chronic disease states. Elsevier, Boston, pp. 627-646. ISBN 9780123964854 doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-396485-4.00033-5

Abstract/Summary

Endothelial dysfunction and an associated increase in vascular tone are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and highly predictive of future cardiovascular events. A part of the benefits associated with increased intake of the long chain (LC) n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, found in fish oils is a positive impact on cardiovascular health. Here, the recent evidence from human observational and intervention trials are reviewed, and an insight into potential mechanisms underlying the impact of LC n-3 PUFA on vascular reactivity is provided.