SAN DIEGO—Taking olive oil supplements may counteract some of the adverse cardiovascular effects of air pollution, according to a new study.
“Exposure to airborne particulate matter can lead to endothelial dysfunction, a condition in which the endothelium of blood vessels does not function normally, which is a risk factor for clinical cardiovascular events and progression of atherosclerosis,” said Haiyan Tong,
MD, PhD, of the US Environmental Protection Agency.
“As olive oil and fish oil are known to have beneficial effects on endothelial dysfunction, we examined whether use of these supplements would counteract the adverse cardiovascular effects of exposure to concentrated ambient particulate matter in a controlled setting.”
Dr Tong and his colleagues presented their findings at the American Thoracic Society’s 2014 International Conference (abstract 55100).
Their study involved 42 healthy adults who were randomized to receive 3 g/day of olive oil, fish oil, or no supplements for 4 weeks. Subjects then underwent controlled, 2-hour exposures to filtered air, followed on the next day by exposure to fine/ultrafine concentrated ambient particulate matter (CAP, mean mass concentration 253±16 µg/m3) in a controlled-exposure chamber.
The researchers assessed endothelial function by sonographic measurement of flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery before, immediately after, and 20 hours after exposure to air and CAP. They also measured blood markers of vasoconstriction and fibrinolysis.
Immediately after exposure to CAP, there were significant particulate matter mass-dependent reductions in flow-mediated dilation in the control group (-19.4±8.4% per 100 µg/m3 increase in CAP concentration relative to pre-filtered air levels) and the fish oil group (-13.7±5.3%), but the decrease in the olive oil group was not significant (-7.6±6.8%).
Tissue plasminogen activator increased immediately after CAP exposure in the olive oil group (11.6±5%), and this effect persisted for up to 20 hours.
Olive oil supplementation also ameliorated changes in blood markers associated with vasoconstriction and fibrinolysis, while fish oil supplementation had no effect on endothelial function or fibrinolysis after CAP exposure.
“Our study suggests that use of olive oil supplements may protect against the adverse vascular effects of exposure to air pollution particles,” Dr Tong said. “If these results are replicated in further studies, use of these supplements might offer a safe, low-cost, and effective means of counteracting some of the health consequences of exposure to air pollution.”
