179. Lipids: Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Eicosapentaenoic acid – Mechanisms of Action with Dr. Ty Gluckman

CardioNerds Tommy Das (Program Director of the CardioNerds Academy and cardiology fellow at Cleveland Clinic), Rick Ferraro (Director of CardioNerds Journal Club and cardiology fellow at the Johns Hopkins Hospital), and CardioNerds Healy Honor Roll Ambassador Dr. Justice Oranefo (UConn cardiology fellow) discuss omega-3 fatty acids acid with Dr. Ty Gluckman, preventive cardiologist and medical director of the Center for Cardiovascular Analytics, Research, and Data Science (CARDS) at the Providence St. Joseph Heart Institute in Portland, Oregon. Audio editing by CardioNerds Academy Intern, Christian Faaborg-Andersen.

In the recent years, purified omega 3 fatty acids and its esters have emerged as a potential new tool in our arsenal for management of hypertriglyceridemia and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. In this episode we review the sources and basic structure of these compounds, as well as their metabolic effects as it pertains to cardiovascular disease. Using hypothetical patient cases, we also discuss scenarios in which these therapies can be useful.

This episode is part of the CardioNerds Lipids Series which is a comprehensive series lead by co-chairs Dr. Rick Ferraro and Dr. Tommy Das and is developed in collaboration with the American Society For Preventive Cardiology (ASPC).

Relevant disclosures: None

Pearls • Notes • References • Guest Profiles • Production Team

CardioNerds Lipid Series PageCardioNerds Episode PageCardioNerds AcademyCardionerds Healy Honor Roll

CardioNerds Journal ClubSubscribe to The Heartbeat Newsletter!Check out CardioNerds SWAG!Become a CardioNerds Patron!

Pearls

Omega 3 (n-3) fatty acids are a class of polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA]. The most studied n-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA], docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] and alpha linoleic acid [ALA]. ALA is found in certain vegetable oils while EPA and DHA are abundant in fish sources.Cardiovascular benefits of n-3 fatty acids include blood pressure reduction, enhanced diastolic function, triglyceride reduction, and immunomodulatory properties.Inflammation plays a major role in the atherogenic process and plaque rupture. Inflammatory marker hs-CRP is a risk enhancing factor for predicting future ASCVD risk. Ongoing trials are investigating therapy that target the inflammatory process in treatment of atherosclerotic heart disease.Prevention and management of ASCVD require aggressive lifestyle modifications and medical therapy addressing risk factors and underlying inflammatory conditions.Purified forms of n-3 fatty acids are approved for the treatment of severe hypertriglyceridemia and as an adjunct therapy to statins for reduction of coronary events in high-risk individuals.

Show notes

1. What are omega 3 (n-3) fatty acids? What are the natural sources of n-3 fatty acids?

n-3 fatty acids are class of polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA]. PUFA are types of unsaturated fats that have more than one double bond in their backbone. PUFAs are important constituents of the phospholipids of all cell membranes.The most studied n-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA], docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] and alpha linoleic acid [ALA].ALA is found in certain vegetable oils including walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds. EPA and DHA are abundant in cold water fish oils such as salmon, mackerel, tuna sardines. Interestingly, farm raised fish usually have higher levels of EPA and DHA than wild caught fish; however, this depends on what the fish are fed. Another important class of PUFAs are omega 6 (n-6) fatty acids, found in vegetable oils (1,2). 

2. What are the metabolic effects of omega 3 fatty acids?

Multiple early studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of n-3 fatty acids.The typical Western diet with a high arachidonic acid (an n-6 fatty acid) content promotes atherogenesis leading to the high incidence of CAD in this population.