Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation and Vascular Health Biomarkers - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Norouzzadeh M, Hasan Rashedi M, Hamidi N, Karimi-Javan N, Nourian S, Hasanpour M, Anoushirvani AA, Teymoori F
Journal of the American Nutrition Association · 1 citation
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2026-01-06 · J Am Nutr Assoc · vol. 45 · issue 5 · pp. 428–440
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Cited
- 0 citations · more than 1% of similar papers · 0.0× the field average
- References
- 85 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Fatty Acid Research and Health · Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism · Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Keywords
- Systematic review, Disease, Diabetes mellitus, MEDLINE, Fatty acid
- MeSH
- humans, cardiovascular diseases, fatty acids, omega-3, dietary supplements, randomized controlled trials as topic, pulse wave analysis, biomarkers, vascular health
8 authors
From IR
- Mostafa NorouzzadehIran University of Medical Sciences; Bushehr University of Medical Sciences
- Minoo Hasan RashediIran University of Medical Sciences
- Niloofar HamidiIran University of Medical Sciences
- Negar Karimi-JavanIran University of Medical Sciences
- Saeed NourianFiroozgar General Hospital
- Mohammad HasanpourFiroozgar General Hospital
Abstract
Background
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading global cause of death, partly due to vascular dysfunction. Dietary supplements, including omega-3 fatty acids, are suggested to support vascular health, but their therapeutic effectiveness and optimal dosing are still uncertain.
Objectives
This systematic review and meta-analysis study assessed the efficacy and dose-response effects of omega-3 fatty acids on vascular health biomarkers in individuals with CVDs.
Data sources
A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was conducted through May 2025.
Study selection
Eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a minimum intervention duration of four weeks.
Data extraction and synthesis
Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. Data were synthesized as weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool, and the certainty of the evidence (CoE) was appraised using the GRADE framework.
Main outcome(s) and measure(s)
The pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AIx), and flow-mediated dilation (FMD).
Results
Twenty RCTs involving 1,208 participants were included, with 80% judged at low risk of bias. Omega-3 supplementation (0.3-4.7 g/day) showed no significant effect on PWV, including in subgroups with hypertension or established CVDs. In contrast, omega-3s improved AIx. FMD elevations were greater for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) than for alpha-linolenic acid. These findings were consistent across sensitivity analyses and supported by dose-response relationships, indicating that achieving approximately 1,650 mg EPA and 750 mg DHA may be important for optimizing vascular outcomes. The CoE ranged from moderate to low.
Conclusions
Omega-3 fatty acids may enhance endothelial function and reduce arterial wave reflection. Future trials with refined methods are needed to maximize clinical benefit.
Systematic review registration
Systematic review registered with PROSPERO, registration number CRD420251065121.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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