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

   Cognitive Function After Supplementation With B Vitamins and Long-chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Ancillary Findings From the SU.FOL.OM3 Randomized Trial
Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 (May 18) [Epub ahead of print]
This study investigated the effects of supplementation on cognition in a high-risk population. In subjects with prior stroke, B vitamins plus omega-3 fatty acids were associated with a higher score on the temporal orientation cognition task vs those assigned to placebo. Effects may be group specific and may be useful in interventions aimed at preventing cognitive decline in high-risk individuals


   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 10-08-2012