Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Review suggests a dose of 3-4g of Omega-3 is beneficial to reduce blood pressure.
High blood pressure affects an estimated 50 million Americans and 1 billion worldwide (1), costing the American healthcare system $24 billion each year in treatment costs (2). But high blood pressure’s real dangers are how it increases the risk for heart attack and stroke, which are the first and third-leading causes of cost to our healthcare system of $473 billion per year (3). High blood pressure is especially harmful to women, as those with high blood pressure have a 400% increased risk of heart disease compared to women with normal blood pressure (4).
Now a review of the research (5) suggests that a specific dose of omega-3 fatty acids helps blood pressure. In the study, researchers identified 70 randomized control trials that lasted an average of 69 days and provided 3.8 grams of EPA+DHA. They found that, overall, compared with placebo, omega-3 fatty acids reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 1.52 mmHg (p = 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 0.99 mmHg (p = 0.00).
When looking at specific doses and systolic blood pressure, consuming 1-2 grams per day did not have statistical significance (p = 0.47) and very small changes with 2-3 grams per day (0.21-mmHg decrease, p < 0.007). Significant benefits were seen with 3-4 grams per day, causing an average drop of 3.85 mmHg (p = 0.05). For diastolic blood pressure, no significant decrease was seen when supplementing with less than 2 grams per day (0.40-mmHg decrease, p = 0.001). However, supplementing with 2-3 grams per day produced a 1.09-mmHg decrease (p = 0.16) and 3-4 grams per day produced a 1.86-mmHg decrease (p = 0.36), but these were not statistically significant.
When the researchers looked at specific subsets of patients, they found that EPA+DHA supplementation had the greatest effect on those with high blood pressure but not taking any medication, with a 4.51 mmHg-decrease in systolic blood pressure (p = 0.72) and a 3.05 mmHg-decrease in diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.17). These results are very significant, as “The 4.51-mmHg decrease…could prevent an individual from requiring medication to control their high blood pressure or could help maintain an individual in a lower stage of progressive high blood pressure.”
While the data is certainly encouraging, it would have been more significant had the researchers provided the percentage increase in blood pressure instead of just raw numbers. For the researchers, “Collectively, provision of ≥2 grams/day EPA+DHA may reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure” and that “provision of EPA+DHA may lower blood pressure and ultimately reduce the incidence of associated chronic diseases.”
Source: Miller, Paige E., Mary Van Elswyk, and Dominik D. Alexander. “Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” American journal of hypertension (2014): hpu024.
© The Author 2014 Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/)
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Posted April 21, 2014.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- El-Atat F, McFarlane SI, Sowers JR. Diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular derangements: pathophysiology and management. Curr Hypertens Rep 2004; 6: 215–223.
- Mosca L, Manson JE, Sutherland SE, et al. Cardiovascular disease in women: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 1997;96:2468-248
- “Cardiovascular Disease at a Glance” posted on the CDC website
- Cherry DK, Woodwell DA. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2000 summary. Adv Data. 2002;328:1-32
- Miller PE. Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid and Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Hypertens 2014 Mar 6. [Epub ahead of print]
