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 (b0.436, P0.01), omega-3 (b2.47, P0.02), omega-6 (b0.362, P0.04) and long chain omega-3 fatty acids (b4.37, P0.04) in boys. Diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure were inversely associated with intakes of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in boys (b3.93, P0.01, b4.05, P0.01, 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.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 178-187 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Journal of Human Hypertension |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- adolescence
- blood pressure
- omega-3
- omega-6
- polyunsaturated fatty acids
- teenagers