BLOOD-PRESSURE-LOWERING IN ELDERLY SUBJECTS - A DOUBLE-BLIND CROSSOVER STUDY OF OMEGA-3 AND OMEGA-6 FATTY-ACIDS

In 46 elderly (aged greater-than-or-equal-to 60 y) hypertensive subjects with entry systolic blood pressure (SBP) greater-than-or-equal-to 160 or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) greater-than-or-equal-to 90 mm Hg, our specific aim in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study (two 8-wk treatment periods separated by a 3-wk washout) was to compare blood pressure-lowering effects of 9 g fish oil/d [omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid] vs 9 g corn oil/d [omega-6 (n-6) fatty acid]. After a 4-wk baseline period, 22 subjects were randomly assigned to receive fish oil and 24 to receive corn oil. For both 8-wk treatments there were no between-group differences in the change in blood pressure. There was a treatment difference for standing DBP when baseline values were compared with those after treatment 2; DBP decreased by 5.1 mm Hg in the fish-oil group vs 0.72 mm Hg in the corn-oil group (P = 0.024). Within groups during the first treatment, both fish oil and corn oil lowered all four blood pressure measures (P < 0.05); blood pressures were not further lowered during the second treatment compared with the washout period. There were no significant between-group differences in laboratory safety tests or categorical side effects. Fish oil lowered triglycerides by 0.47 mmol/L (P < 0.001). In elderly subjects, diet plus both omega-3 and omega-6 supplements (9 g/d) safely and effectively lower SBP and DBP.