Effects of essential fatty acids on mild to moderate essential hypertension

A double-blind placebo-controlled study with a crossover design was conducted on 25 non-obese black patients with mild-moderate uncomplicated essential hypertension. They were randomly assigned into two groups. After having received placebo capsules for 4 weeks, they received dietary supplementation with either Efamol-marine (containing desaturated n-6 and n3 essential fatty acids), or sunflower seed and linseed oil capsules for 12 weeks. Thereafter a second 4 weeks placebo phase and a subsequent second 12-week active phase were entered into during which a crossover of the dietary supplementation of the groups was brought about. The mean systolic blood pressure of patients receiving Efamol-marine was significantly lowered after 8 and 12 weeks, while those receiving sunflower/linseed oil supplementation had no significant reduction of blood pressure. This observation may indicate that defective desaturation of the essential fatty acids by the enzyme delta-6-desaturase, could play an important role in the etiology of essential hypertension.