Dietary fats and blood pressure

This chapter reviews the evidence from epidemiologic studies and controlled clinical trials dealing with dietary fats and blood pressure. Trials studying the effect on blood pressure of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish oil show a dose-response hypotensive effect that may be restricted to patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, fish oil is not a practical therapy for hypertension given the large dose required (10 capsules per day) for a small effect (3-4 mmHg). From numerous studies, it is clear that saturated and n-6 polyunsaturated fats have no effect on blood pressure. Monounsaturated fats also have no effect but fewer studies have examined this relation.