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Review
. 2006 Jun;52(6):734-40.

Omega-3 fatty acids: their beneficial role in cardiovascular health

Affiliations
Review

Omega-3 fatty acids: their beneficial role in cardiovascular health

Gerry Schwalfenberg. Can Fam Physician. 2006 Jun.

Erratum in

  • Can Fam Physician. 2006 Aug;52:952

Abstract

Objective: To examine evidence for the role of omega-3 fatty acids in cardiovascular disease.

Quality of evidence: PubMed was searched for articles on the role of omega-3 fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. Level I and II evidence indicates that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial in improving cardiovascular outcomes.

Main message: Dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids has declined by 80% during the last 100 years, while intake of omega-6 fatty acids has greatly increased. Omega-3 fatty acids are cardioprotective mainly due to beneficial effects on arrhythmias, atherosclerosis, inflammation, and thrombosis. There is also evidence that they improve endothelial function, lower blood pressure, and significantly lower triglycerides.

Conclusion: There is good evidence in the literature that increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids improves cardiac outcomes. Physicians need to integrate dietary recommendations for consumption of omega-3 fatty acids into their usual cardiovascular care.

OBJECTIF: Relever les données sur le rôle des acides gras oméga-3 dans les maladies cardiovasculaires.

QUALITÉ DES PREUVES: On a consulté PubMed, à la recherche d’articles sur le rôle des oméga-3 dans les maladies cardiovasculaires. Il existe des preuves de niveaux I et II indiquant que les oméga-3 ont un effet favorable sur les issues cardiovasculaires.

PRINCIPAL MESSAGE: Au cours des 100 dernières années, la consommation des acides gras oméga-3 a diminué de 80%, pendant que celle des oméga-6 augmentait considérablement. Les oméga-3 sont cardioprotecteurs en raison surtout de leurs effets bénéfiques sur les arythmies, l’athérosclérose, l’inflammation et la thrombose. Selon certaines données, ils améliorent aussi l’activité endothéliale, diminuent la tension artérielle et causent une baisse significative des triglycérides.

CONCLUSION: Il existe dans la littérature des preuves convaincantes indiquant qu’une consommation accrue d’acides gras oméga-3 améliore les issues cardiaques. Le médecin devrait incorporer aux soins cardiovasculaires habituels des recommandations pour encourager la consommation des oméga-3.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Data from the final report of the Lyon Diet Health Study
Figure 2
Figure 2
Data from the Indo-Mediterranean Diet Heart Study,

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