- Title
- Gender-specific inhibition of platelet aggregation following omega-3 fatty acid supplementation
- Creator
- Phang, M.; Sinclair, A. J.; Lincz, L.; Garg, M. L.
- Relation
- Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases Vol. 22, Issue 2, p. 109-114
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2010.04.012
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2012
- Description
- Background and Aims: Increased platelet aggregation is a major risk factor for heart attacks, stroke and thrombosis. Long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn-3PUFA; eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA; docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) reduce platelet aggregation; however studies in the published literature involving EPA and/or DHA supplementation have yielded equivocal results. Recent in vitro studies have demonstrated that inhibition of platelet aggregation by LCn-3PUFA is gender specific. We examined the acute effects of dietary supplementation with EPA or DHA rich oils on platelet aggregation in healthy male and females. Methods and Results: A blinded placebo controlled trial involving 15 male and 15 female subjects. Platelet aggregation was measured at 0, 2, 5 and 24 h post-supplementation with a single dose of either a placebo or EPA or DHA rich oil capsules. The relationship between LCn-3PUFA and platelet activity at each time point was examined according to gender vs. treatment. EPA was significantly the most effective in reducing platelet aggregation in males at 2, 5 and 24 h post-supplementation (−11%, −10.6%, −20.5% respectively) whereas DHA was not effective relative to placebo. In contrast, in females, DHA significantly reduced platelet aggregation at 24 h (−13.7%) while EPA was not effective. An inverse relationship between testosterone levels and platelet aggregation following EPA supplementation was observed. Conclusion: Interactions between sex hormones and omega-3 fatty acids exist to differentially reduce platelet aggregation. For healthy individuals, males may benefit more from EPA supplementation while females are more responsive to DHA.
- Subject
- docosahexaenoic acid; eicosapentaenoic acid; gender; platelet aggregation; sex hormones
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1328077
- Identifier
- uon:25816
- Identifier
- ISSN:0939-4753
- Language
- eng
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