DHA Benefits Heart Health in Postmenopausal Women 35610

DHA Benefits Heart Health in Postmenopausal Women

GUELPH,OntarioWhile the omega-3 essential fatty acid (EFA)docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been shown to positively affect cardiovascularrisk factors, researchers from the University of Guelph here sought to examineits effects on heart health in postmenopausal women who were or were not takinghormone replacement therapy (HRT). Their study, published in the May issue of TheAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found DHAsupplementation did positively influence select cardiovascular disease factors(79, 5:765-73, 2004) (www.ajcn.org).

The double blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial included18 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 associatedwith a 20 percent reduction in serum triacylglycerol, an 8 percent increase inHDL cholesterol, a 28 percent lower overall ratio of serum triacylglycerol toHDL, and a 7 percent decrease in resting heart rate.

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