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Fish oil supplementation lengthens survival in patients with coronary artery disease; longer telomeres also are associated with extended survival in patients with CAD (JW Gen Med Jan 25 2007). Telomere length is a measure of cellular aging: the longer its telomeres, the less likely a cell is to die a “natural” death from apoptosis. A new study suggests that fish oil (marine ω-3 fatty acids) might inhibit telomere shortening directly.
In a prospective study, researchers followed 608 patients with stable CAD for 5 years; blood levels of marine ω-3 fatty acids were measured at baseline, and leukocyte telomere length was measured at baseline and again at 5 years. The lower the baseline level of ω-3 fatty acids, the greater the degree to which te…