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n-3 Fatty acids and cardiovascular disease risk factors among the Inuit of Nunavik^1,2,3

¹ From the Public Health Research Unit, CHUL Research Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Ste-Foy, Canada; the Departments of Social and Preventive Medicine and of Food Sciences and Nutrition, Laval University, Ste-Foy, Canada; and the Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, the University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.

Background: Inuit traditionally consume large amounts of marine foods rich in n-3 fatty acids. Evidence exists that n-3 fatty acids have beneficial effects on key risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Objective: Our goal was to verify the relation between plasma phospholipid concentrations of the n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and various cardiovascular disease risk factors among the Inuit of Nunavik, Canada.

Design: The study population consisted of 426 Inuit aged 18–74 y who participated in a 1992 health survey. Data were obtained through home interviews and clinical visits. Plasma samples were analyzed for phospholipid fatty acid composition.

Results: Expressed as the percentage of total fatty acids, geometric mean concentrations of EPA, DHA, and their combination in plasma phospholipids were 1.99%, 4.52%, and 6.83%, respectively. n-3 Fatty acids were positively associated with HDL-cholesterol concentrations and inversely associated with triacylglycerol concentrations and the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol. In contrast, concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and plasma glucose increased as n-3 fatty acid concentrations increased. There were no significant associations between n-3 fatty acids and diastolic and systolic blood pressure and plasma insulin.

Conclusions: Consumption of marine products, the main source of EPA and DHA, appears to beneficially affect some cardiovascular disease risk factors. The traditional Inuit diet, which is rich in n-3 fatty acids, is probably responsible for the low mortality rate from ischemic heart disease in this population.

Key Words: n-3 Fatty acids • eicosapentaenoic acid • docosahexaenoic acid • fish intake • cardiovascular disease • risk factor • cholesterol • LDL • HDL • triacylglycerol • blood pressure • glucose • insulin • Natives • Inuit

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