A new research has revealed that "bad" LDL cholesterol can be lowered by supplementing the diet with omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
The research at the Innsbruck Medical University based on the genetic information from over 100,000 individuals of European ancestry has uncovered a gene that affects blood cholesterol levels through the generation of a compound from omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, called lipoxins.
The study also provides additional evidence that aspirin assists in preventing heart attacks by promoting lipoxin production.
Senior author Ivan Tancevski said that their findings could help pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches to prevent cardiovascular disease and its associated clinical sequelae, including heart attacks and stroke.
Tancevski and his colleagues identified one gene, called Alox5, that codes for an enzyme that generates lipoxins, which have anti-inflammatory properties, from omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids to help the body get rid of bad cholesterol. Lipoxins.
Tancevski added that they now identified a third mechanism by which aspirin, which is known to prevent cardiovascular disease due to its antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory effects, may confer protection.
The study is published online in the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism.