Is there a role for dietary fish oil in the treatment of hypertension?
Hypertension and atherosclerosis are highly prevalent disorders which contribute substantially to the burden of premature morbidity and mortality at significant cost to the economy. Hypertension, abdominal obesity and risk factor clustering represent complex regulatory disorders which probably reflect an interaction of multiple genetic and environmental factors. Information has been summarised which indicates that fish oil, obtained either as a dietary supplement or by the consumption of more fish products, represents a relatively simple and comparatively inexpensive dietary intervention which may lower BP, especially in combination with a low salt diet, and favourably alter multiple risk factors in the cluster. This summary also indicates that multiple significant gaps in our knowledge about fish oil remain. Closing these gaps through further clinical and basic research may lead to greater acceptance and more appropriate therapeutic use of fish oil for health maintenance and disease prevention.
Kenny
D
D
Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226.
Egan
B M
BM
D000818:Animals; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors
D004041:Dietary Fats; D005395:Fish Oils