Omega-3 EFAs May Improve Blood Pressure in Kidney Disease Patients

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which increases the risk of heart disease two- to 50-fold, experienced improvements in both blood pressure and heart rate following supplementation with four grams of omega-3 fatty acids, according to findings published in the Journal of Hypertension.

According to background information in the article, CKD is linked to increased prevalence in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events and hospitalization. People with CKD are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and modifiable risk factors include high blood pressure (hypertension).

Since omega-3 may improve blood pressure, heart rate, blood lipid levels and vascular function, Dr. Trevor Mori and his co-workers recruited 85 people with CKD (average age 56.5, average BMI 27.3 kg/m@) and randomly assigned them to receive either four grams of omega-3 (containing 1,840 mg EPA, 152 mg DPA and 1,520 mg DHA) or a placebo for eight weeks.

Results of the double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention showed that people receiving omega-3 experienced a 3.3 and 2.9 mmHg decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and a reduction of heart rate of 4.0 beats per minute. Furthermore, triglyceride levels decreased by 24% in this group.

"Future studies should include long-term supplementation in order to determine effects of omega-3 fatty acids on renal function in patients with CKD," wrote the researchers.

"These results show that omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure and may reduce cardiovascular risk in non-diabetic patients with moderate to severe CKD," they concluded.

Journal of Hypertension 27(9):1863-1872, 2009

Comments

[vitamine b6]

Good information!Omega-3 fatty acids play an important modulatory role in the immune and inflammatory responses, the progression of arteriosclerosis, vascular reactivity and BP control, cell membrane function, and gene expression.So its possible to maintain BP and reduce cardiovascular risk.

[Cynthia]

An FDA advisory panel just recommended yesterday that the warning label for Covidien’s Optimark and GE’s Omnisca—drugs in the family of medications known as gadolinium-based contrast agents (DBCAs)—be updated to restrict their use in patients with severe kidney disease because of the potential for an increased risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). NSF causes thickening of the skin and organs. GBCAs carry a strong “black box” warning. This site has good information on this issue: www.gadolinium-mri.com/index.html