Early omega-3 may protect against MI

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements in the first five years of life may protect against MI and stroke in later life, an Australian and US study suggests.

Cardiologists from Sydney University and the University of California found that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in early childhood prevented the association of impaired fetal growth with arterial wall thickening.

The study randomised 176 children with a birth weight below the ≤ 90 percentile to 500 mg daily fish oil supplement and canola-based margarine aimed at achieving a dietary omega-6: omega-3 ratio of 5:1 while a control group maintained a ratio similar to that of the general population 15:1 to 20: 1.

After an 8-year follow-up, the researchers reported a difference in carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) of 0.041 millimetres per kilogram birth weight between the two groups (adjusted for gestational age and gender).

“When we looked at the association between fetal growth and wall thickness of the artery we saw a negative association among the control group, but when we looked at the omega-3 group we saw no such association,” lead author Dr Michael Skilton told Cardiology Update.

The authors speculated that omega-3 intervention could potentially reduced the risk of future myocardial infarction by 5-7% and reduce the risk of future stroke by 6-8% per kg decrease in birth weight (adjusted for gestational age and gender) for birth weights below the point of intersection.

“Importantly, the early omega-3 fatty acid supplementation did not improve vascular health per se, but rather, mitigated the inverse association of fetal growth with arterial wall thickening,” they said.