Omega-3 Fats Help with C-Reactive Protein Levels

by | Jun 4, 2009 | 2009, Cardiovascular Health, DHA, Fats and Oils - General

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Those with lower C-Reactive Protein levels had significantly higher blood levels of Omega 3 fatty acids.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects nearly 81 million Americans (1) and is estimated to cost our healthcare system $448.5 billion in 2008 (2). Research has continually pointed to inflammation as a significant contributor to CVD (3). Levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, have been found to help predict overall cardiovascular disease risk as well as heart attack, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease, which cost our healthcare system $151.6 million (4), $62.7 (5), and $50 billion each year (6, 7), respectively.

A CRP protein called high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) is an indicator of cardiovascular disease:

  • High sensitivity CRP levels lower than 1.0 mg/L = low risk for cardiovascular disease
  • High sensitivity CRP levels between 1.0 and 3.0 mg/L = average risk
  • High sensitivity CRP levels greater than 3.0 mg/L = high risk (8).

Now a new study (9) has found that omega-3 fats may help maintain healthy levels of high sensitivity CRP. In the study, 124 patients (46 males, 78 females) with an average age of 47 provided blood samples first thing in the morning (after 10 hours of no eating or drinking overnight) to measure both high sensitivity CRP levels and omega-3 fatty acid blood levels. The researchers divided the patients into three different groups:

  • Group 1: Those with high sensitivity CRP levels lower than 1.0 mg/Liter
  • Group 2: Those with high sensitivity CRP levels between 1 and 3 mg/Liter
  • Group 3: Those with high sensitivity CRP levels greater than 3.0 mg/Liter

For omega-3 fatty acid blood levels, those in the group with high sensitivity CRP lower than 1.0 mg/L had omega-3 fat blood levels that were nearly 25% higher than those with levels greater than 3.0 mg/L (5% vs. 4.1% of total fatty acid blood levels). For those in the group with high sensitivity CRP levels lower than 1.0 mg/L, EPA levels were 30% higher (1.3% vs. 1.0%) and DHA levels were 37% higher (0.68% vs. 0.43%)

For the researchers, “The importance of this study is that individuals with higher plasma hs-CRP (>3.0 mg/l)…have significantly lower plasma [omega-3] fatty acids” and that “this inverse correlation with hs-CRP…could represent a possible mechanism by which n-3 fatty acids are involved in CVD risk reduction.”

Source: Micallef, M. A., I. A. Munro, and M. L. Garg. “An inverse relationship between plasma n-3 fatty acids and C-reactive protein in healthy individuals.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 63.9 (2009): 1154-1156.

© 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved

Posted June 4, 2009.

References:

  1. “Cardiovascular Disease Statistics” posted on the American Heart Association website.
  2. “Cardiovascular Disease Cost” posted on the American Heart Association website.
  3. Libby, P. Inflammation in atherosclerosis. Nature 420:868–874; 2002.
  4. de Ferranti, S. D.; Rifai, N. C-reactive protein: a nontraditional serum marker of cardiovascular risk.
  5. American Heart Association Update.  Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2007 Update.  Circulation. 2007;115:e69-e171.
  6. “Heart Attack Prevention Overview”, posted on the Medicine Net website.
  7. “Peripheral Arterial Disease Costlier To Treat Than Heart Troubles”, posted on the Medicine Net website.
  8. Pearson TA.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Heart Association. Markers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Application to clinical and public health practice: a statement for healthcare professionals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association. Circulation 107:499–511; 2003.
  9. Micallef MA.  An inverse relationship between plasma n-3 fatty acids and C-reactive protein in healthy individuals.  European Journal of Clinical Nutrition advance online publication 8 April 2009; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2009.20.