"Dietary interventions are commonly suggested by general practitioners following a heart attack (i.e. a myocardial infarction or MI). Evidence of the effectiveness of these interventions has accumulated from epidemiological studies of different populations and their dietary intakes, which show links between the consumption of fatty fish and lower incidence rates of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and MI. Where dietary changes cannot be made (or sustained) there is a role for the use of fish oil supplements to provide the necessary dietary intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fish oil is recommended as a supplement for people who have had an MI (people with CHD) by the World Health Organization (WHO), American Heart Association, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and the National Heart Foundation of Australia"--Executive summary.
During the last decades progress has been made in the treatment of patients who survived myocardial infarction. Nevertheless, patients who survive an acute myocardial infarction are at high risk, with life expectancy half that of their peers who have not experienced similar events, and with increased risk for subsequent cardiovascular events and death. The risk of sudden death increases with severity of systolic dysfunction after myocardial infarction. In recent years, it has become clear that in addition to risk factors such as overweight, lack of exercise, smoking, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, psychosocial factors play a key role for prognosis in patients with myocardial infarction. Therefore, there is high medical need for drugs which lower the incidence of sudden death and have an effect on other risk factors such as depression. OMACOR®, a pharmaceutical preparation of highly purified and concentrated Ω-3 polyunsaturated acids, may present such a drug. It lowers the incidence of sudden death in patients with myocardial infarction and decreases depression. This publication focuses on the effect of Ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on different risk factors in patients with cardiovascular disease. In addition, aspects of prevention of cardiovascular disease, risk factors and pharmacokinetics of Ω-3 fatty acids ethyl esters are considered.
Fish Oil and Vascular Disease covers the most relevant aspects of fish oil (n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) on vascular disease. The text includes background epidemiological information, nutritional aspects, effects on various biological functions, possibly mediating the effects on atherosclerosis and its clinical sequelae, and offers an extensive coverage of the effects upon blood pressure. The book is divided into three main sections. The first deals with the epidemiological and nutritional background of the n-3 PUFA and their relation to cardiovascular disease.
Fish and Fish Oil in Health and Disease Prevention provides an authoritative review of the role of fish and fish oil intake in the promotion of human health. This up-to-date volume provides a complete examination of intake patterns as well as research evidence of intake in disease prevention and treatment. Readers will gain knowledge ranging from the current state of fish and fish oil intake, their health promoting effects and influences on individual response, how they influence development and health maintenance through the life cycle, and their role in disease prevention and treatment. This book is an invaluable resource for all researchers working to understand the relationship between fish and human health. It is a valuable reference for nutritionists, dietitians, and health care providers. Imparts a valuable understanding of fish intake patterns around the world and the role of fish and fish oil in human health through the lifecycle Offers an understanding of the role of fish and fish oil in disease risk reduction and treatment Presents the current status of fish intake and recommended intake levels for human health Focuses on research on unique fish and oil sources and potential problems with fish availability
The cardiovascular benefits of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) have been actively investigated for nearly 40 years. Beginning with the pioneering studies of Bang and Dyerberg, epidemiological data provide strong evidence for an inverse relationship between fatty fish consumption and cardiac mortality. In contrast to these observational studies, interventional studies using n-3 PUFAs for the secondary prevention of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with heart disease have yielded conflicting results; some studies have reported reduced sudden cardiac death or mortality, while other more recent studies have reported either no effect or an increase in adverse cardiac events. Nevertheless, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology continue to recommend fish oils for the secondary prevention of coronary artery disease. Based in part upon these recommendations, consumer demand for n-3 PUFA products (both nutritional supplements and foods enriched with these lipids) has exploded. In the United States alone, it has been estimated that in 2004, 5-10% of the adult U.S. population were taking a fish oil supplement, with annual sales growth of 40%. In fact, the sales of these products are projected to exceed 7 billion dollars by the end of 2011 (www.marketresearch.com, product reports). Despite the extensive marketing of fish oil products, a scientific consensus on the effects of n-3 PUFA on cardiac rhythm has yet to be reached. It is the purpose of this Research Topic to stimulate a discussion on the putative benefits of n-3 PUFAs on cardiac rhythm. Authors are invited to submit clinical, translational, or experimental research articles, reviews, and hypotheses that address the actions of n-3 PUFA (positive, negative, or neutral) on cardiac rhythm and cardiac electrophysiology. Studies that evaluate the effects of n-3 PUFA on myocyte electrical properties, atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, and heart rate variability are particularly welcome.
The fragmented information that consumers receive about the nutritional value and health risks associated with fish and shellfish can result in confusion or misperceptions about these food sources. Consumers are therefore confronted with a dilemma: they are told that seafood is good for them and should be consumed in large amounts, while at the same time the federal government and most states have issued advisories urging caution in the consumption of certain species or seafood from specific waters. Seafood Choices carefully explores the decision-making process for selecting seafood by assessing the evidence on availability of specific nutrients (compared to other food sources) to obtain the greatest nutritional benefits. The book prioritizes the potential for adverse health effects from both naturally occurring and introduced toxicants in seafood; assesses evidence on the availability of specific nutrients in seafood compared to other food sources; determines the impact of modifying food choices to reduce intake of toxicants on nutrient intake and nutritional status within the U.S. population; develops a decision path for U.S. consumers to weigh their seafood choices to obtain nutritional benefits balanced against exposure risks; and identifies data gaps and recommendations for future research. The information provided in this book will benefit food technologists, food manufacturers, nutritionists, and those involved in health professions making nutritional recommendations.
The publication at hand gives an outline of recent advances in both of these topics, including a general discussion on fatty acid nutrition amd metabolism. Moreover, issues such as vascular functions, inflammation, bone metabolism, cancer, obesity and lipoprotein metabolism are dealt with in this context. Finally, the book also contains new findings on bioactive lipids such as anandamide and related compounds, as well as on conjugated linoleic acid. Scientists interested in nutrition, cardiovascular disease, behavior and psychiatry as well as fatty acid metabolism and lipids in general will find this publication a most welcome source of information.
