Omega-3s Prevent Adverse Vascular Effects Of Heart Surgery

Compounds derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids known as omega-3s reduce cardiovascular inflammation and improve healing after procedures like angioplasty, stenting and heart bypass surgery, a new U.S. study has found. Inflammation and scarring after such procedures can lead to permanent disability and even death. For the study, researchers tested the effects of the compounds (resolvin or RvD) in cultured vascular cells taken from patients who had undergone bypass operations, and then in rabbits treated with balloon angioplasty. The compounds dramatically reduced inflammation, cell migration, and cell growth (scarring) in vascular smooth muscle cells.