Healthy omega-3 fats in nuts, fish may slow deadly lung fibrosis: Study

Healthy fats found in nuts and fish may help slow the progression of potentially deadly lung scarring known as pulmonary fibrosis and delay the need for lung transplants according to a studyPulmonary researchers at the University of Virginia in the US looked at the association between blood plasma levels of omega3 fatty acids the hearthealthy fats found in foods such as salmon and flaxseeds and the progression of pulmonary fibrosis and how long patients could go without needing a transplantIn the study published in the journal CHEST the researchers found that higher levels of omega3 were associated with better lung function and longer transplantfree survivalWe found that higher levels of omega3 fatty acids in the blood which reflects several weeks of dietary intake were linked to better lung function and longer survival said researcher John Kim a pulmonary and critical care expert at the University of Virginia School of MedicineOur findings suggest omega3 fatty acids might be a targetable risk factor in pulmonary fibrosis he addedOmega3 fatty acids have already been linked to various health benefits Studies have suggested for example that they may lower the risk of heart disease strokecausing blood clots breast cancer and other cancers Alzheimers disease and dementiaThe team wanted to determine if omega3s could play a protective role in interstitial lung disease a group of chronic lung diseases that can lead to pulmonary fibrosisThey reviewed information on more than 300 people with interstitial lung disease Most were men pulmonary fibrosis is more common in men than women and most suffered from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis one of the conditions that fall under the banner of interstitial lung diseaseThe researchers found that higher levels of omega3 fatty acids in the blood plasma were associated with better ability to exchange carbon dioxide and longer survival without needing a lung transplantThis did not much regardless of smoking history or whether the patients had cardiovascular diseaseHigher levels of omega3 fatty acids were predictive of better clinical outcomes in pulmonary fibrosis Kim said These findings were consistent whether you had a history of cardiovascular disease which suggests this may be specific to pulmonary fibrosisThe doctors called for clinical trials and more mechanistic studies to obtain additional insights and determine if omega3 fatty acid drugs or dietary changes could improve patient outcomesWe need further research to determine if there are specific omega3 fatty acids that may be beneficial and if so what are their underlying mechanisms Kim said Similar to other chronic diseases we hope to determine whether nutritionrelated interventions can have a positive impact on pulmonary fibrosisThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever