Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels Shown to be Significant in Telomeric Aging

TITLE: Association of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels with Telomeric Aging in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease CITATION: Journal of the American Medical Association, January 20, 2010; Vol. 303 No. 3 AUTHORS: Ramin Farzaneh-Far, M.D., Jue Lin, Ph.D., Elissa S. Epel, Ph.D., William S. Harris, Ph.D., Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Ph.D., and Mary A. Whooley, M.D. Notes: Elizabeth Blackburn, from the Depart­ment of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medi­cine/Physiology, October 2009, for her work pertaining to telomeres. Background In 1953, Leonard Hayflick, Ph.D., from the University of California, San Francisco, discovered that human cells divided about 50 times, and then die. This is known as the Hayflick Limit. Dr. Hay-flick continues to research and publish on human aging and longevity. About 30 years ago, scientists discov­ered the reason for the Hayflick Limit was telomeres. Telomeres are short caps of DNA on the ends of chromosomes. Each time the cell divides, the telomere short­ens a little. When most of the telomere disappears, the cell dies. Consequently, telomere length has been proposed as a marker of biological aging. Key Points 1) Telomeres are tandem repeat DNA sequences (TTAGGG) that form a pro­tective cap at the ends of chromosomes. During somatic cell division, there is a progressive loss of telomeric repeats. "This process may eventually result in cellular senescence [state of being old; the process of becoming old] or apop-tosis [cell death]." 2) Telomere length is emerging as a marker of biological age. integrating the "cu­mulative lifetime burden of genetic factors and environmental stressors independent of chronological age." 3) "Telomere length is an emerging marker of biological age that independently predicts morbidity and mortality." 4) "Increased dietary intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids is associated with prolonged survival in patients with coronary heart disease." 5) "Multiple epidemiologic studies, includ­ing several large randomized controlled trials, have demonstrated higher sur­vival rates among individuals with high dietary intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids and established cardiovascular disease." 6) "The American Heart Association rec­ommends increased oily fish intake and the use of omega-3 fatty acid supple­ments for the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease." 7) Omega-3 fatty acids are cardio-protec-tive for several reasons, including: A) Anti-inflammatory B) Anti-platelet C) Anti-hypertensive D) Anti-arrhythmic E) Triglyceride-lowering F) Telomere lengthening 8) For each 1 -Standard Deviation increase in omega-3 fatty acid levels, there was an associated 32% increase in the telom­eres. 9) "Baseline levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids were associated with decel­erated telomere attrition over 5 years. The association was linear and persisted after adjustment for potential confound-ers. These findings raise the possibility that omega-3 fatty acids may protect against cellular aging in patients with coronary heart disease." 10(Longer telomeres are also linked to tak­ing nutritional supplements, including multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D. vitamin E. and Iblic acid. 11 )"0mega-3 fatty acids exert direct effects on aging and age-related diseases." 12)Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation: A) Reduces vascular stillness B) Slows age-related cognitive de­cline C) Reduces age-related macular de-genvveration 13)In animals, "dietary enrichment with omega-3 fatty acids prolongs life span by approximately one-third." 14)"The present findings identify decelera­tion of telomere attrition as a potentially novel pathway for the anti-aging effects of marine omega-3 fatty acids." 15)Oxidative stress is a powerful driver of telomere shortening and aging. 16)Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids has been associated with lower levels of systemic oxidative stress, and with higher levels of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dis-mutase. 17)Omega-3 fatty acid levels may deceler­ate telomere attrition by increasing ac­tivity of the enzyme telomerase. "Daily supplementation with 3g of omega-3 fish oil was associated with a significant increase in telomerase activity." 18)Other factors that cumulatively deter­mine telomere length throughout life include: A) Systemic inflammation B) Obesity C) Oxidative stress D) Lack of physical activity 19)"ln summary, among patients with stable coronary artery disease, there was an inverse relationship between baseline blood levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids and the rate of telomere shortening over 5 years." Dr. Dan Murphy graduated niagna cum laiuk' from Western States Chiropractic College in 1978. He received Diplomat sta­tus in Chiropractic Orthopedics in 1986. Since 1982. Dr. Murphy has served pan-lime as undergraduate faculty at Life Chiropractic College West, currently leaching classes to seniors in the manage­ment of spinal disorders. He has taught more than 2000postgraduate continuing education seminars. Dr. Murphy is a contributing author to both editions of the hook Motor Vehicle Collision Injuries and to the hook Pediatric Chiropractic. Hundreds of detailed Article Reviews, pertinent to chiropractors and their patients, are available at Dr. Murphy's web page, www.danmurphvdc.com.