Martek trial backs omega-3 advice
confirming the benefits of omega 3 on heart health, Martek
BioSciences reports on a trial showing that DHA supplements
improved arterial flow in children patients at risk of coronary
heart disease.
A clinical trial by Martek BioSciences shows that when patients with hyperlipidemia (a risk factor in children for early coronary heart disease) supplemented a specialised diet with DHA, they showed improved endothelial function (the cells lining the blood and lymph vessels) as compared to the specialised diet alone.
The double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised crossover trial, which enrolled over 14 overweight subjects between the ages of 10 and 19, measured improved endothelial function by changes in the patients' endothelium-dependent flow mediated dilation (FMD).
Researchers found that patients receiving DHA experienced significant improvements in their arterial flow, indicating that their arteries had become more flexible.
"The exciting news here is that supplementation with DHA increased blood vessel dilation, an important indicator of cardiovascular health," said lead investigator Dr Marguerite Engler from the University of California, San Francisco. "By adding DHA to their specialised diets, we were able to improve the children's cardiovascular health."
"It's great to see clinical studies that are now pinpointing the cardiovascular benefits of DHA," said Henry Linsert, chairman and CEO at Martek which develops products derived from microalgae.
Researchers used Martek's vegetarian DHA. Last week, the American Heart Association published a scientific statement outlining the findings of a report examining the cardiovascular health benefit of omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA. The report concluded that healthy people should eat omega-3 fatty acids from fish and plant sources to protect their hearts.
Complete study findings were presented on November 18 at the 2002 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association.
