6/20/2007 - Omega-3 fatty acids may lower blood pressure Eating fish, nuts, vegetable oils and other foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids may help lower blood pressure, according to a study in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers found that people with diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids generally had lower blood pressure than people whose diets were lower in fatty acids. The study involved 4,680 men and women between the ages of 40 and 59 living in Japan, China, the United Kingdom and the United States. All of the participants had their blood pressure checked twice at each of their four visits with researchers. In addition, participants supplied urine samples and detailed information about dietary habits and medication use. Researchers calculated the amount of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PFA) in each person's diet. They then compared blood pressure in people consuming higher amounts of omega-3 PFAs with those consuming lower amounts. After adjusting for 17 variables known to influence blood pressure–such as age, gender, height, weight, exercise, alcohol consumption, salt intake and other dietary factors–researchers found that diets rich in omega-3 PFAs were associated with both lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury and recorded in two numbers. Systolic pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading and indicates the pressure when the heart beats. Diastolic pressure is the bottom number in a reading and indicates the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. “With blood pressure, every millimeter counts,” said Hirotsugu Ueshima, M.D., the lead author of the study and a professor at Shiga University in Japan. “If you can reduce blood pressure a few millimeters from eating less salt; losing a few pounds; avoiding heavy drinking; eating more vegetables, whole grains and fruits; and getting more omega-3 fatty acids, then you’ve made a big difference. ”The researchers also said that people can get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids by eating foods such as fatty fish—trout, salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines—and unsalted walnuts, or by cooking with canola or soybean oil. "We want to emphasize that you can get plenty of the omega-3 fatty acids by eating modest portions with a reasonable amount of calories and fat," said Jeremiah Stamler, M.D., co-author of the study and a professor emeritus at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. Back