Effect of dietary supplementation with n-3 fatty acids on coronary artery bypass graft patency

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9149(97)89130-8Get rights and content

Abstract

Epidemiologic and experimental data suggest that a high dietary intake of long-chain polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of atherothrombotic disease. In a randomized, controlled study, 610 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were assigned either to a fish oil group, receiving 4 g/day of fish oil concentrate, or to a control group. All patients received antithrombotic treatment, either aspirin or warfarin. Their diet and serum phospholipid fatty acid profiles were monitored. The primary end point was 1-year graft patency, which was assessed by angiography in 95% of patients. Vein graft occlusion rates per distal anastomoses were 27% in the fish oil group and 33% in the control group (odds ratio 0.77, 95% confidence interval, 0.60 to 0.99, p = 0.034). In the fish oil group, 43% of the patients had ≥ 1 occluded vein graft(s) compared with 51% in the control group (odds ratio 0.72, 95% confidence interval, 0.51 to 1.01, p = 0.05). Moreover, in the entire patient group, there was a significant trend to fewer patients with vein graft occlusions with increasing relative change in serum phospholipid n-3 fatty acids during the study period (p for linear trend = 0.0037). Thus, in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, dietary supplementation witn n-3 fatty acids reduced the incidence of vein graft occlusion, and an inverse relation between relative change in serum phospholipid n-3 fatty acids and vein graft occlusions was observed.

References (30)

  • MF Lopes-Virella et al.

    Cholesterol determination in high-density lipoproteins separated by three different methods

    Clin Chem

    (1977)
  • WT Friedewald et al.

    Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge

    Clin Chem

    (1972)
  • H Arnesen et al.

    Fibrinolytic capacity after venous stasis in patients undergoing aorto-coronary by-pass surgery. Relation to shunt occlusion

    Scand J Haematol

    (1983)
  • N Mantel

    Chi-square tests with one degree of freedom: extensions of the Mantel-Haenszel procedure

    J Am Stat Assoc

    (1963)
  • Epi Info. Version 5.01a

    (1991)
  • Cited by (218)

    • Effects of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on perioperative blood loss and complications after radical prostatectomy

      2022, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN
      Citation Excerpt :

      The same logic can be used to conclude that the potential decreasing effect of ω3 on prostate cancer recurrence following radical prostatectomy should prevail based on the results of our randomized placebo-controlled study showing no increased risk of bleeding. Several other studies found no significant increase in bleeding complications during cardiac [8–10], abdominal carcinomas [11] and spinal decompression [12] surgeries. So, our study suggests that the same results found in literature apply to the radical prostatectomy surgeries and ω3 does not cause a threat of perioperative bleeding.

    • Analysis of plants lipids

      2020, Recent Advances in Natural Products Analysis
    View all citing articles on Scopus

    This study was supported in part by grants from Pronova AS and Nycomed Pharma AS, Oslo, Norway.

    1

    Dr. Eritsland was a research fellow of the Norwegian Council on Cardiovascular Diseases.

    View full text