title: A review of the effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on blood triacylglycerol levels in normolipidemic and borderline hyperlipidemic individuals.
abstract: Circulating levels of triacylglycerol (TG) is a recognized risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death worldwide. The Institute of Medicine and the American Heart Association both recommend the consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), to reduce serum TG in hyperlipidemic individuals. Additionally, a number of systematic reviews have shown that individuals with any degree of dyslipidemia, elevated serum TG and/or cholesterol, may benefit from a 20-30% reduction in serum TG after consuming n-3 PUFA derived from marine sources. Given that individuals with serum lipid levels ranging from healthy to borderline dyslipidemic constitute a large portion of the population, the focus of this review was to assess the potential for n-3 PUFA consumption to reduce serum TG in such individuals. A total of 1341 studies were retrieved and 38 clinical intervention studies, assessing 2270 individuals, were identified for inclusion in the current review. In summary, a 9-26% reduction in circulating TG was demonstrated in studies where ≥ 4 g/day of n-3 PUFA were consumed from either marine or EPA/DHA-enriched food sources, while a 4-51% reduction was found in studies where 1-5 g/day of EPA and/or DHA was consumed through supplements. Overall, this review summarizes the current evidence with regards to the beneficial effect of n-3 PUFA on circulating TG levels in normolipidemic to borderline hyperlipidemic, otherwise healthy, individuals. Thus demonstrating that n-3 PUFA may play an important role in the maintenance of cardiovascular health and disease prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Animal Science/Nutrition Building, Room 342, 491 Gordon Street, Guelph, ON, N1G 2 W1, Canada. mleslie@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Animal Science/Nutrition Building, Room 342, 491 Gordon Street, Guelph, ON, N1G 2 W1, Canada. cohen@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Daniel J A
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Animal Science/Nutrition Building, Room 342, 491 Gordon Street, Guelph, ON, N1G 2 W1, Canada. dliddle@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Danyelle M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Liddle
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Animal Science/Nutrition Building, Room 342, 491 Gordon Street, Guelph, ON, N1G 2 W1, Canada. lrobinso@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Lindsay E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Animal Science/Nutrition Building, Room 342, 491 Gordon Street, Guelph, ON, N1G 2 W1, Canada. davidma@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: David W L
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D014280:Triglycerides