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Polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and blood pressure in adolescents

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 26, pages 178–187 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Evidence that intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may modify blood pressure (BP) is generally limited to middle-aged or hypertensive populations. This study examined cross-sectional associations between BP and dietary intake of PUFAs in 814 adolescents aged 13–15 years participating in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Fatty acid intakes were assessed using 3-day diet records and resting BP was determined using multiple oscillometric readings. In multivariate regression models, systolic BP was inversely associated with intakes of polyunsaturated (b=−0.436, P<0.01), omega-3 (b=−2.47, P=0.02), omega-6 (b=−0.362, P=0.04) and long chain omega-3 fatty acids (b=−4.37, P=0.04) in boys. Diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure were inversely associated with intakes of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in boys (b=−3.93, P=0.01, b=−4.05, P=0.01, respectively). For specific long-chain omega-3s, significant inverse associations were observed between eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid, such as systolic BP decreasing by 4.7 mm Hg (95% CI –9.3 to −0.1) for a quarter gram increase in EPA, but no significant associations were observed with docosapentaenoic acid. No significant associations were observed in girls, or with the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Our results suggest that gender may moderate relationships between fatty acid intake and BP in adolescence.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to all the families who took part in this study and the Raine Study team, which includes data collectors, cohort managers, data managers, clerical staff, research scientists and volunteers. Thanks also goes to Xyris Software, Brisbane. We acknowledge the support of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and Royal Perth Hospital laboratories. Sources of funding: The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study is funded by the Raine Medical Research Foundation at The University of Western Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Telstra Research Foundation, the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation, the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund and the National Heart Foundation of Australia and Beyond Blue.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, West Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    T A O'Sullivan, G L Ambrosini, R C Huang & W H Oddy

  2. School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    A P Bremner

  3. School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    L J Beilin, T A Mori & R C Huang

  4. MRC Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, UK

    G L Ambrosini

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  1. T A O'Sullivan
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Correspondence to T A O'Sullivan.

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O'Sullivan, T., Bremner, A., Beilin, L. et al. Polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and blood pressure in adolescents. J Hum Hypertens 26, 178–187 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2011.7

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