Omega-3s Promote Healthy Blood Vessels

With aging, it is common that central arterial stiffness increases and arterial wave reflections become enhanced, thereby contributing to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Kevin D. Monahan, from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine (Pennsylvania, USA), and colleagues studied a group of healthy men and women, ages 60 to 80 years, each of them took 2 omega-3 capsules (1000 mg of omega-3 - 465 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and 375 mg docosahexanoic acid), twice daily for 12 weeks.  The team assessed pulse wave velocity (PWV) --  a marker of arterial stiffness, observing that 12 weeks of supplementation significantly decreased PWV in the older subjects, to support improvement in vascular health.  No elevation of blood pressure occurred.  The study authors write that: "these data indicate that 12 weeks of daily [omega]-3 supplementation decreases an important measure of central arterial stiffness (carotid‐femoral PWV) in older… healthy adults.”