The Effects of Fish Oil on Cardiovascular Diseases: Systematical Evaluation and Recent Advance

Abstract

Fish oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, i.e., eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are widely distributed in the body such as heart and brain. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that unsaturated fatty acids may have effects of anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, protecting vascular endothelial cells, thrombosis inhibition, modifying autonomic nerve function, improving left ventricular remodeling, and regulating blood lipid. Given the relevance to public health, there has been increasing interest in the research of potential cardioprotective effects of fish oil. Accumulated evidence showed that fish oil supplementation may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, and, in specific, it may have potential benefits in improving the prognosis of patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, or heart failure; however, some studies yielded inconsistent results. In this article, we performed an updated systematical review in order to provide a contemporary understanding with regard to the effects of fish oil on cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords: arrhythmia; atrial fibrillation; cardiovascular disease; coronary heart disease; fish oil; heart failure; hypertension; ω-3 PUFAs.

Figure 1

Metabolic pathway of PUFAs.

Figure 2

Potential molecular mechanisms for cardiovascular protective effects of the ω-3 PUFAs.

Figure 3

The effect of ω-3 PUFAs consumption on blood pressure in normotensive subjects/ patients with hypertension/ patients with untreated hypertension.

Figure 4

Fish oil and the primary/secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.

Figure 5

The effects of ω-3 PUFAs in atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmia.

Figure 6

The effects of ω-3 PUFAs in heart failure.

Figure 7

The potential adverse effects of fish oil.