Key Findings:
Research has shown that increased intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3) lowers the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The present study compared the effects of ALA with those of EPA/DHA on lipoprotein profile, on coagulation and fibrinolytic factors, and on endothelial function in subjects aged between 60 and 78 years. This study showed that all three diets had comparable null effects on plasma-soluble adhesion molecules and soluble selectins. The study duration was short which may have masked any beneficial effects of ALA or EPA/DHA on these endothelial markers. The findings indicated that n-3 fatty acids from both plant and marine sources do not affect the lipid profile equally favorable in elderly subjects as oleic acid.
ABSTRACT:
Objective: To compare the effects of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3n-3) to those of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3) on cardiovascular risk markers in healthy elderly subjects. Design: A randomized double-blind nutritional intervention study. Setting: Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Subjects: Thirty-seven mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects, 14 men and 23 women aged between 60 and 78 years. Interventions: During a run-in period of 3 weeks, subjects consumed an oleic acid-rich diet. The following 6 weeks, 10 subjects remained on the control diet, 13 subjects consumed an ALA-rich diet (6.8 g/day) and 14 subjects an EPA/DHA-rich diet (1.05 g EPA/day + 0.55 g DHA/day). Results: Both n-3 fatty acid diets did not change concentrations of total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol and apoA-1 when compared with the oleic acid-rich diet. However, after the EPA/DHA-rich diet, LDL-cholesterol increased by 0.39 mmol/l (P=0.0323, 95% CI (0.030, 0.780 mmol/l)) when compared with the ALA-rich diet. Intake of EPA/DHA also increased apoB concentrations by 14 mg/dl (P=0.0031, 95% CI (4, 23 mg/dl)) and 12 mg/dl (P=0.005, 95% CI (3, 21 mg/dl)) versus the oleic acid and ALA-rich diet, respectively. Except for an EPA/DHA-induced increase in tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) of 14.6% (P=0.0184 versus ALA diet, 95% CI (1.5, 18.3%)), changes in markers of hemostasis and endothelial integrity did not reach statistical significance following consumption of the two n-3 fatty acid diets. Conclusions: In healthy elderly subjects, ALA might affect concentrations of LDL-cholesterol and apoB more favorably than EPA/DHA, whereas EPA/DHA seems to affect TFPI more beneficially.
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