Effects of purified eicosapentaenoic acid on red blood cell distribution width and vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract

Abstract:Background: Highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a promising agent for the secondary prevention of coronary artery disease. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW), a measure of red blood cell size heterogeneity, has been shown to be associated with the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease. In the present study, we investigated whether EPA affects red blood cell size heterogeneity and vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease. Methods and Results: Among the 30 patients with coronary artery disease with an EPA/arachidonic acid (AA) ratio <0.4, 19 patients were administered with EPA (1800 mg/d) (EPA group); the remaining 11 patients received no intervention (control group). During a follow-up period of 36±14 mo, the EPA/AA ratio increased in the EPA group (P<0.001) but did not change in the control group. The flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) value also increased in the EPA group (P<0.05) but not in the control group. The RDW value did not change in either group. In 15 patients with a baseline RDW value greater than the median (12.8), 8 in the EPA group had a decreased RDW value (P<0.05), while 7 in the corresponding control group had an unchanged RDW value. In all patients, the change in FMD was negatively correlated with that in RDW (R=−0.39, P<0.05). Conclusions: EPA improved red blood cell size heterogeneity as well as vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease. The improvements were correlated with each other.

Omega-3 index is directly associated with a healthy red blood cell distribution width

“…lipid-protein interactions, of RBC membranes [50]. Increasing EPA intake alone or EPA+DHA together increases RBC membrane fluidity [48] and RBC deformability [25][26][27]51].…”

Omega-3 Index is Directly Associated with a Healthy Red Blood Cell Distribution Width

“…lipid-protein interactions, of RBC membranes [50]. Increasing EPA intake alone or EPA+DHA together increases RBC membrane fluidity [48] and RBC deformability [25–27,51]. RBC deformability is affected by membrane lipid composition and lipid-protein interactions, and reduced deformability is a characteristic of aged RBCs [52].…”

“…In patients with sickle cell disease, RBC rheological disturbances, hemolysis, and abnormalities of membrane fatty acids, have been ameliorated by omega-3 fatty acid treatment [62,63]. Supplementation with both EPA alone or EPA+DHA lowered RDW values in patients with coronary heart disease [51,64] and with abdominal aortic aneurysm [65]. In the latter study, supplementation increased O3I from ∼4.5% to 8% and decreased RDW from 14.8% to 13.8%.…”

“…lipid-protein interactions, of RBC membranes [50]. Increasing EPA intake alone or EPA+DHA together increases RBC membrane fluidity [48] and RBC deformability [25][26][27]51].…”

Relation of red blood cell distribution width to risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, death, and effect of alirocumab after acute coronary syndromes

“…[mNS; August 23, 2022;13:44 ] Medications that may lower both RDW and hs-CRP lev-268 els include eicosapentaenoic acid 31 and colchicine. 32 Both of 269 these agents also reduce cardiovascular risk, 33 , 34…”