DHA Benefits Heart Health in Postmenopausal Women

GUELPH, Ontario--<$>While the omega-3 essential fatty acid (EFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been shown to positively affect cardiovascular risk factors, researchers from the University of Guelph here sought to examine its effects on heart health in postmenopausal women who were or were not taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Their study, published in the May issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found DHA supplementation did positively influence select cardiovascular disease factors (79, 5:765-73, 2004) (www.acjn.org).

The double blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial included 18 women taking HRT and 14 not on HRT. They received 2.8 g DHA/d for 28 days, with a six-week washout period between tests. DHA supplementation was associated with a 20 percent reduction in serum triacylglycerol, an 8 percent increase in HDL cholesterol, a 28 percent lower overall ratio of serum triacylglycerol to HDL, and a 7 percent decrease in resting heart rate.

The study also investigated how DHA supplementation affects lipid metabolism in women taking HRT, particularly whether DHA is retroconverted to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and concentrated in serum lipids. They found DHA supplementation resulted in a 45 percent lower net increase in EPA accumulation and a 42 percent lower retroconversion in women on HRT.