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Review
. 2002 Mar 5;166(5):608-15.

Clinical nutrition: 4. Omega-3 fatty acids in cardiovascular care

Bruce J Holub  1
Affiliations
Review

Clinical nutrition: 4. Omega-3 fatty acids in cardiovascular care

Bruce J Holub. CMAJ. .
No abstract available

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Figures

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Fig. 1: Chemical structures of linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
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Fig. 2: Platelets are activated when they come into contact with an agonist, such as collagen exposed by damaged endothelial cells. When a diet is low in omega-3 fatty acids, activated platelets liberate AA from the phospholipids of the intracellular cell membranes known as the dense tubular system (DTS). Cyclo-oxygenase (COX) associated with the DTS catalyzes AA conversion to TxA2, leading to increased platelet aggregation, making thrombus formation more likely. Photo by: Lianne Friesen and Nicholas Woolridge
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Fig. 3: When a diet is high in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, they replace a portion of the AA in membrane phospholipids. This reduces the amount of AA available for liberation. In addition, liberated EPA and DHA inhibit the activity of COX. This results in reduced production of the proaggregatory compound thromboxane A2 (TxA2), leading to reduced platelet aggregation, making thrombus formation less likely. Photo by: Lianne Friesen and Nicholas Woolridge
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Fig. 4: Desaturation, elongation and retroconversion of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Holub BJ. Fish oils and cardiovascular disease. CMAJ 1989;141:1063. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Connor WE. The importance of n-3 fatty acids in health and disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71(1 Suppl):171S-5S. - PubMed
    1. Angerer P, von Schacky C. n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids and the cardiovascular system. Curr Opin Lipidol 2000;11(1):57-63. - PubMed
    1. Schmidt EB, Skou HA, Christensen JH, Dyerberg J. n-3 Fatty acids from fish and coronary artery disease: implications for public health. Public Health Nutr 2000;3(1):91-8. - PubMed
    1. von Schacky C. n-3 Fatty acids and the prevention of coronary atherosclerosis. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71(1 Suppl):224S-7S. - PubMed

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