Cardiovascular Disease is largely a LIFESTYLE disease!

Did you know that Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the developed world. It is largely a lifestyle disease, and simple changes in diet and exercise can considerably lower the risk.  One such simple change is an increase in the consumption ofn-3 (omega-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (1). The authors of a 2009 article estimated that between 72,000 and 96,000 premature deaths could be prevented annually in the U.S. alone by optimizing n-3 fatty acid levels (2).

The importance of n-3 PUFAs in health and disease is readily acknowledged by mainstream health organizations. For example, the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association (AHA) has this to say about omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease (3):


"Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown in epidemiological and clinical trials to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Large-scale epidemiological studies suggest that individuals at risk for coronary heart disease benefit from the consumption of plant- and marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids, although the ideal intakes presently are unclear. Evidence from prospective secondary prevention studies suggests that EPA + DHA supplementation ranging from 0.5 to 1.8 g/day (either as fatty fish or supplements) significantly reduces subsequent cardiac and all-cause mortality. For alpha-linolenic acid, total intakes of 1.5 to 3 g/day seem to be beneficial."

Pictured:

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Sources:

1. Jung UJ, Torrjon C, Tighe AP, Deckelbaum RJ. n-3 Fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: mechanisms underlying beneficial effects. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87(suppl):2003S-2009S.
   http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/87/6/2003S
2. Danaei G, Ding EL, Mozaffarian D et al. The preventable causes of death in the United States: Comparative risk assessment of dietary, lifestyle, and metabolic risk factors. PLoS Medicine April 2009;6(4)
   http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000058
3. Kris-Etherton PM, Harris WS, Appel LJ. Fish consumption, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids, and cardiovascular disease. Circulation 2002;106:2747-2457.
   http://atvb.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/23/2/e20