title: Effects of essential fatty acids on mild to moderate essential hypertension.
abstract: A double-blind placebo-controlled study with a crossover design was conducted on 25 non-obese black patients with mild-moderate uncomplicated essential hypertension. They were randomly assigned into two groups. After having received placebo capsules for 4 weeks, they received dietary supplementation with either Efamol-marine (containing desaturated n-6 and n3 essential fatty acids), or sunflower seed and linseed oil capsules for 12 weeks. Thereafter a second 4 weeks placebo phase and a subsequent second 12-week active phase were entered into during which a crossover of the dietary supplementation of the groups was brought about. The mean systolic blood pressure of patients receiving Efamol-marine was significantly lowered after 8 and 12 weeks, while those receiving sunflower/linseed oil supplementation had no significant reduction of blood pressure. This observation may indicate that defective desaturation of the essential fatty acids by the enzyme delta-6-desaturase, could play an important role in the etiology of essential hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Medical University of Southern Africa, Medunsa, South Africa.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Venter
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Joubert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Booyens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000172:deficiency; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D050602:Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; D050602:Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase