The relationship between tissue RBC n-3 fatty acids and pulse wave velocity.

Consumption of n-3 fatty acids is well-known to prevent deaths from coronary heart disease. However, not many studies have investigated the effects of n-3 fatty acids on arteriosclerosis in free living subjects. The pulse wave velocity between the brachia and ankles (baPWV) of 161 healthy male subjects was measured and the fatty acid composition of the total phospholipid fraction of their red blood cells (RBC) analyzed. There was a significant inverse correlation between the eicosapentaenoic acid concentrations in the RBC phospholipid fraction and baPWV of the subjects after adjustment for age, pulse rate and diastolic pressure, or further for body mass index, smoking status, diabetes and the ratio of low-density cholesterol to high-density cholesterol. Although baPWV values may not directly indicate arteriosclerosis, the present study suggests that long-term n-3 fatty acid intake is beneficial for the vascular system.