Stroke &
Essential Fatty Acids

This section is compiled by Frank M. Painter, D.C.
Send all comments or additions to:   Frankp@chiro.org

If there are terms in these articles you don't understand, you can get a definition from the Merriam Webster Medical Dictionary.   If you want information about a specific disease, you can access the Merck Manual.   Search Pub Med for more abstracts on this topic.


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Stroke & EFA Articles

   A New Paradigm for Stroke Prevention
          LE Magazine April 2005
          Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US. Fortunately, diagnostic imaging for stroke risk and stroke-prevention strategies have advanced greatly in recent years. It is now possible to reduce the artery-clogging plaque that leads to stroke, offering hope that this debilitating condition can be prevented.

Stroke & EFA Abstracts

   Very Long Chain N-3 Fatty Acids Intake and Carotid Atherosclerosis: An Epidemiological Study Evaluated by Ultrasonography
Atherosclerosis 2004 (Sep);   176 (1):   145–149
Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between intake of N-3 fatty acids and incidence of stroke. And, there is a high incidence of stroke in patients with carotid atherosclerosis. We investigated the relationship between intake of N-3 fatty acids and carotid atherosclerosis in the cross-sectional study.


   Association of N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids with Stability of Atherosclerotic Plaques: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Lancet 2003 (Feb 8);   361 (9356):   477–485
Atherosclerotic plaques readily incorporate n-3 PUFAs from fish-oil supplementation, inducing changes that can enhance stability of atherosclerotic plaques. By contrast, increased consumption of n-6 PUFAs does not affect carotid plaque fatty-acid composition or stability over the time course studied here. Stability of plaques could explain reductions in non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular events associated with increased n-3 PUFA intake.


   Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids,
and Cardiovascular Disease
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2003 (Feb 1);   23 (2):   e20-30 ~ FULL TEXT
Since the first AHA Science Advisory "Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Lipids, and Coronary Heart Disease," ¹ important new findings, including evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), have been reported about the beneficial effects of omega-3 (or n-3) fatty acids on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with preexisting CVD as well as in healthy individuals. ² New information about how omega-3 fatty acids affect cardiac function (including antiarrhythmic effects), hemodynamics (cardiac mechanics), and arterial endothelial function have helped clarify potential mechanisms of action. The present Statement will address distinctions between plant-derived (-linolenic acid, C18:3n-3) and marine-derived (eicosapentaenoic acid, C20:5n-3 [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid, C22:6n-3 [DHA]) omega-3 fatty acids.intake.

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Since 4-20-2005

Updated 7-17-2007