Omega-3s decrease cardiovascular risk in case of angioplasty

Angioplasty: less risk to the heart by taking Omega 3s

Taking Omega 3 increases the effectiveness of antiplatelet drugs: it reduces the risks to the heart and arteries of patients carrying a genetic mutation that increases cardiovascular risk in those undergoingballoon angioplasty. This was discovered by a group of researchers Jagiellonian University Medical College in Krakow, Poland. The results of their study were published in the journal Kardiologia ^Polska1.

Platelets, when clotting is a problem

Platelets are components of blood that are essential for survival. Thanks to these small elements, the body is able to repair any injuries that would otherwise lead to blood loss incompatible with life. In some situations their ability to aggregate to repair tissues can have side effects: this is the case with thrombosis. Platelets are involved in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Atherosclerotic plaques are thickenings of the blood vessel wall that impede blood flow and increase the risk of disorders such as angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. This is a dangerous clinical situation that is exacerbated both in stroke or heart attack sufferers and in those who have been diagnosed with the presence of such plaques. For this reason, patients at high cardiovascular risk should take antiplatelet drugs, such asaspirin or clopidogrel.

Counteracting clot formation: why Omega-3s?

Omega-3 food-derived fatty acids can counteract clot formation: several studies show this. Both healthy individuals and those who have already dealt with a disease of the cardiovascular system can benefit from this action. Specifically, Omega-3s counteract platelet aggregation and reduce the formation of thrombin, a protein that promotes clotting. The Polish researchers wondered whether these fatty acids were also able to perform this activity in the case of patients on whom anticoagulants have limited efficacy due to a genetic mutation, dwelling on the case of clopidogrel. In order to perform its action, this drug must be modified by the activity of the CYP2C19 protein. However, about 28 percent of white-skinned people have at least one mutated copy of the gene coding for this protein that prevents the proper use of clopidogrel. In patients carrying this mutation, the drug has limited efficacy: the risks to the cardiovascular system are correspondingly greater.

Angioplasty: safer thanks to fatty acids

The researchers had patients taking a combination of aspirin, clopidogrel, and Omega-3 on a daily basis who were to undergo balloon angioplasty and had cardiovascular disorders. The treatment, continued for 1 month, increased the efficacy of clopidogrel precisely in patients with this mutation. For the researchers, this action, combined with the property of reducing thrombin formation, makes Omega-3 a possible remedy to be administered concurrently with antiplatelet therapies in patients undergoing balloon angioplasty.  

Source:

1. Gajos G, Zalewski J, Nessler J, Zmudka K, Undas A, Piwowarska W, "Polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids improve responsiveness to clopidogrel after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with cytochrome P450 2C19 loss-of-function polymorphism," Kardiol Pol. 2012;70(5):439-45