Cardiovascular effects of dietary linoleic acid

A survey is given of the effects of a linoleic-acid-rich diet on arterial thrombosis, blood platelet function and blood pressure in rats and man, and on coronary flow rate and heart muscle function of isolated rat hearts. Dietary linoleic acid decreases arterial thrombosis tendency in a dose-dependent manner in rats, as measured by the aorta loop technique. In a group of patients, a linoleic-acid-rich diet improved blood platelet aggregation measured with the filtragometer as compared with a similar group which was given a linoleic-acid-poor diet. The patients who received a high linoleic acid diet showed a lower cardiovascular death rate than the low linoleic acid group. Salt-induced hypertension in rats can be prevented and cured by a high linoleic acid diet. In man, the results of a few experiments show a decreasing tendency of blood pressure during a diet enriched with linoleic acid. In the isolated hearts of rats fed a diet high in linoleic acid, coronary flow and heart muscle function both increase as compared to control groups fed lard or hardened coconut oil. The observed effects are discussed against the background of recent findings in the field of prostaglandin research.