Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation, Vascular Function and Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Young Adults

Atul Singhal; Julie Lanigan; Clare Storry; Sarah Low; Toni Birbara; Alan Lucas; John Deanfield

doi:10.1161/jaha.113.000283

Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation, Vascular Function and Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Young Adults

Atul Singhal^*, Julie Lanigan, Clare Storry, Sarah Low, Toni Birbara, Alan Lucas, John Deanfield

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Health Professions

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background A high consumption of omega‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and particularly docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ), has been suggested to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease ( CVD ). However, while DHA supplementation may have benefits for secondary prevention, few studies have investigated the role of DHA in the primary prevention of CVD . Here, we tested the hypothesis that DHA supplementation improves endothelial function and risk factors for CVD . Methods and Results Healthy volunteers (n=328), aged 18 to 37 years, were randomly assigned to 1.6 g DHA /day (from a microalgae source) together with 2.4 g/day carrier oil (index group) or to 4.0 g/day olive oil (control) (both given in eight 500‐mg capsules/day for 16 weeks). Flow‐mediated endothelium‐dependent vasodilation ( FMD ) of the brachial artery (primary outcome) was measured before and after the intervention (n=268) using high‐resolution vascular ultrasound. FMD was the same in both groups at randomization (mean, SD ; 0.27, 0.1 mm), but postintervention was higher in the control group (0.29, 0.1 mm) compared with the DHA ‐supplemented group (0.26, 0.1 mm; mean difference −0.03 mm; 95% CI −0.005 to −0.06 mm; P =0.02). Of other outcomes, only triglyceride (mean difference −28%, 95% CI −40% to −15%; P <0.0001) and very low‐density lipoprotein concentrations were significant lower in DHA ‐supplemented individuals compared with controls. Conclusions DHA supplementation did not improve endothelial function in healthy, young adults. Nevertheless, lower triglyceride concentrations with DHA supplementation was consistent with previous reports and could have benefits for the prevention of CVD . Clinical Trial Registration Information URL: http://www.controlled-trials.com/ Unique identifier: ISRCTN no: 19987575.

Original language	English
Number of pages	0
Journal	Journal of the American Heart Association
Volume	2
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.113.000283
Publication status	Published - 22 Aug 2013

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10.1161/jaha.113.000283

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@article{5538df08ec374cf59dfd8301712864d8,

title = "Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation, Vascular Function and Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Young Adults",

abstract = " Background A high consumption of omega‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and particularly docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ), has been suggested to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease ( CVD ). However, while DHA supplementation may have benefits for secondary prevention, few studies have investigated the role of DHA in the primary prevention of CVD . Here, we tested the hypothesis that DHA supplementation improves endothelial function and risk factors for CVD . Methods and Results Healthy volunteers (n=328), aged 18 to 37 years, were randomly assigned to 1.6 g DHA /day (from a microalgae source) together with 2.4 g/day carrier oil (index group) or to 4.0 g/day olive oil (control) (both given in eight 500‐mg capsules/day for 16 weeks). Flow‐mediated endothelium‐dependent vasodilation ( FMD ) of the brachial artery (primary outcome) was measured before and after the intervention (n=268) using high‐resolution vascular ultrasound. FMD was the same in both groups at randomization (mean, SD ; 0.27, 0.1 mm), but postintervention was higher in the control group (0.29, 0.1 mm) compared with the DHA ‐supplemented group (0.26, 0.1 mm; mean difference −0.03 mm; 95% CI −0.005 to −0.06 mm; P =0.02). Of other outcomes, only triglyceride (mean difference −28%, 95% CI −40% to −15%; P <0.0001) and very low‐density lipoprotein concentrations were significant lower in DHA ‐supplemented individuals compared with controls. Conclusions DHA supplementation did not improve endothelial function in healthy, young adults. Nevertheless, lower triglyceride concentrations with DHA supplementation was consistent with previous reports and could have benefits for the prevention of CVD . Clinical Trial Registration Information URL: http://www.controlled-trials.com/ Unique identifier: ISRCTN no: 19987575. ",

author = "Atul Singhal and Julie Lanigan and Clare Storry and Sarah Low and Toni Birbara and Alan Lucas and John Deanfield",

year = "2013",

month = aug,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1161/jaha.113.000283",

language = "English",

volume = "2",

journal = "Journal of the American Heart Association",

issn = "2047-9980",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation, Vascular Function and Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Young Adults

AU - Singhal, Atul

AU - Lanigan, Julie

AU - Storry, Clare

AU - Low, Sarah

AU - Birbara, Toni

AU - Lucas, Alan

AU - Deanfield, John

PY - 2013/8/22

Y1 - 2013/8/22

N2 - Background A high consumption of omega‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and particularly docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ), has been suggested to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease ( CVD ). However, while DHA supplementation may have benefits for secondary prevention, few studies have investigated the role of DHA in the primary prevention of CVD . Here, we tested the hypothesis that DHA supplementation improves endothelial function and risk factors for CVD . Methods and Results Healthy volunteers (n=328), aged 18 to 37 years, were randomly assigned to 1.6 g DHA /day (from a microalgae source) together with 2.4 g/day carrier oil (index group) or to 4.0 g/day olive oil (control) (both given in eight 500‐mg capsules/day for 16 weeks). Flow‐mediated endothelium‐dependent vasodilation ( FMD ) of the brachial artery (primary outcome) was measured before and after the intervention (n=268) using high‐resolution vascular ultrasound. FMD was the same in both groups at randomization (mean, SD ; 0.27, 0.1 mm), but postintervention was higher in the control group (0.29, 0.1 mm) compared with the DHA ‐supplemented group (0.26, 0.1 mm; mean difference −0.03 mm; 95% CI −0.005 to −0.06 mm; P =0.02). Of other outcomes, only triglyceride (mean difference −28%, 95% CI −40% to −15%; P <0.0001) and very low‐density lipoprotein concentrations were significant lower in DHA ‐supplemented individuals compared with controls. Conclusions DHA supplementation did not improve endothelial function in healthy, young adults. Nevertheless, lower triglyceride concentrations with DHA supplementation was consistent with previous reports and could have benefits for the prevention of CVD . Clinical Trial Registration Information URL: http://www.controlled-trials.com/ Unique identifier: ISRCTN no: 19987575.

AB - Background A high consumption of omega‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and particularly docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ), has been suggested to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease ( CVD ). However, while DHA supplementation may have benefits for secondary prevention, few studies have investigated the role of DHA in the primary prevention of CVD . Here, we tested the hypothesis that DHA supplementation improves endothelial function and risk factors for CVD . Methods and Results Healthy volunteers (n=328), aged 18 to 37 years, were randomly assigned to 1.6 g DHA /day (from a microalgae source) together with 2.4 g/day carrier oil (index group) or to 4.0 g/day olive oil (control) (both given in eight 500‐mg capsules/day for 16 weeks). Flow‐mediated endothelium‐dependent vasodilation ( FMD ) of the brachial artery (primary outcome) was measured before and after the intervention (n=268) using high‐resolution vascular ultrasound. FMD was the same in both groups at randomization (mean, SD ; 0.27, 0.1 mm), but postintervention was higher in the control group (0.29, 0.1 mm) compared with the DHA ‐supplemented group (0.26, 0.1 mm; mean difference −0.03 mm; 95% CI −0.005 to −0.06 mm; P =0.02). Of other outcomes, only triglyceride (mean difference −28%, 95% CI −40% to −15%; P <0.0001) and very low‐density lipoprotein concentrations were significant lower in DHA ‐supplemented individuals compared with controls. Conclusions DHA supplementation did not improve endothelial function in healthy, young adults. Nevertheless, lower triglyceride concentrations with DHA supplementation was consistent with previous reports and could have benefits for the prevention of CVD . Clinical Trial Registration Information URL: http://www.controlled-trials.com/ Unique identifier: ISRCTN no: 19987575.

U2 - 10.1161/jaha.113.000283

DO - 10.1161/jaha.113.000283

M3 - Article

SN - 2047-9980

VL - 2

JO - Journal of the American Heart Association

JF - Journal of the American Heart Association

IS - 4

ER -

Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation, Vascular Function and Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Young Adults

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