Intakes of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and blood pressure change over time: Possible interaction with genes involved in 20-HETE and EETs metabolism.

BACKGROUND

A high intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), has been associated with reduced levels of blood pressure (BP). Their antihypertensive action may be due to the reduction of the ω-6/ω-3 ratio and the resulting competitive effect of ω-3 as compared to arachidonic acid (an ω-6 PUFA) as a substrate of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes involved in the production of vasoactive mediators. Some functional polymorphisms (SNPs), in genes which encode for the same enzymes, were associated with hypertension and ischemic stroke in the Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC), a Swedish urban-based longitudinal study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the intake of different types of PUFAs on BP change over time (Δ-BP; mean follow-up 16.6±1.5 years; n=3.550 with complete phenotypic data), also considering the interaction with SNPs in genes involved in their metabolism via CYP450.

METHODS

PUFA intakes were collected by a modified diet history method, and functional SNPs in CYP4F2, CYP4A11, CYP2J2 and EPHX2 were genotyped by Taqman.

RESULT

We did not find any overall association between ω-6 and ω-3 PUFA intakes, or their ratio, with Δ-BP but observed an interaction between CYP4F2 V433M genotype and total omega-3, α-linolenic acid and linoleic/α-linolenic ratio, so that a higher ω-3 PUFA intake was significantly associated with a more pronounced BP decrease over time in subjects with the 433VV genotype (-0.041±0.018 mmHg/year; p=0.024; p-interaction=0.031) CONCLUSIONS: Our data do not support a major role of ω-6 or ω-3 PUFA intakes on BP change over time, but suggest a possible interaction of ω-3 PUFA with the CYP4F2 V433M.

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