Omega-3s Help to Manage BP

A major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, hypertension (high blood pressure) can be managed by a number of non-drug approaches.  Dominik D. Alexander, from the Center for Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Computational Biology at Exponent, Inc. (Illinois, USA), completed a large-scale meta-analysis involving 70 randomized  controlled trials (RCTs) of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for blood pressure management.  The team found that consumption of EPA and DHA reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 1.52 mmHg, and lowered diastolic blood pressure by 0.99 mmHg, as compared to subjects on placebo.   Noting that: “the strongest effects of EPA+DHA were observed among untreated hypertensive subjects,” the study authors conclude that: “available evidence from [randomized  controlled trials] indicates that provision of [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)]  reduces systolic blood pressure, while provision of [more than] 2 grams reduces diastolic blood pressure.”