Intake of fish oil, oleic acid, folic acid, and vitamins B-6 and E for 1 year decreases plasma C-reactive protein and reduces coronary heart disease risk factors in male patients in a cardiac rehabilitation program.

Juan Jesús Carrero,Eduardo López-Huertas,José Luis Marti,Jesús Jiménez,Julio J Boza,Juristo Fonollá

doi:10.1093/jn/137.2.384

Abstract

Certain nutrients have been shown to be effective in preventing coronary heart disease. We hypothesized that a daily intake of low amounts of a number of these nutrients would exert beneficial effects on risk factors and clinical variables in patients that suffered from myocardial infarction (MI) and were following a cardiac rehabilitation program. Forty male MI patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups. The supplemented group consumed 500 mL/d of a fortified dairy product containing eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, oleic acid, folic acid, and vitamins A, B-6, D, and E. The control group consumed 500 mL/d of semi-skimmed milk with added vitamins A and D. The patients received supervised exercise training, lifestyle and dietary recommendations, and they were instructed to consume the products in addition to their regular diet. Blood extractions and clinical examinations were performed after 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 mo. Plasma concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, oleic acid, folic acid, vitamin B-6, and vitamin E increased after supplementation (P<0.05). Plasma total and LDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations decreased in the supplemented group (P<0.05), and plasma total homocysteine decreased in both groups. There were no changes in heart rate, blood pressure, or cardiac electrocardiographic parameters in either group. Therapeutic lifestyle changes, effected through a CR program comprising regular exercise and the intake of a combination of dietary nutrients, reduced a variety of risk factors in MI patients, which supports the rationale for nutritional programs in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.

Highlights

Acute myocardial infarction (MI),5 a manifestation of atherosclerosis caused by the occlusion of coronary arteries, is the leading cause of death for both men and women all over the world
We found that the inclusion of a combination of nutrients in the daily diet of a group of male MI patients following a Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program may improve nutritional status and reduce coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors
The way the nutrients were administered may have contributed to the good compliance obtained with the protocol, as shown by the percentages of the plasma fatty acids and plasma concentration of vitamins that varied in response to the nutrients supplemented, which is in agreement with similar studies [21,22,23,24]

Summary

Introduction

Acute myocardial infarction (MI), a manifestation of atherosclerosis caused by the occlusion of coronary arteries, is the leading cause of death for both men and women all over the world. It is a major cause of physical disability, in the rapidly growing population of elderly persons [1]. Several prospective studies indicate that plasma levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, are a strong independent predictor for the risk of future CV events among individuals, including MI patients [9,10,11]

Methods

Results

Conclusion