Grant: Operating Grant -PA: Inst of Circulatory and Respiratory Health - Bridge Funding

Blockages in the arteries are the primary cause of both stroke and heart disease, the leading causes of death and disability in the world today. The more that we can understand about how the vessels get blocked, the better we will be able to treat, prevent and/or delay their occurrence. Recent data would suggest that dietary interventions may be far more powerful to protect the body from cardiovascular disease than any drug treatment available. Dietary interventions, however, not only treat a pre-existing disease but also delay or prevent the occurrence of atherosclerotic disease. Supplementation of the diet with omega-3 fatty acids found in fish has been used to alter cardiovascular disease. However, dietary compliance for fish supplementation has been a problem. Fortunately, an alternative, tasty source of omega-3 fatty acids exists in flax. We will determine if administration of flax to the diet of animals will reduce the blockages in arteries that are caused by a diet high in trans fat or cholesterol or when it is induced by infections. We will also determine if ingesting flaxseed can reverse a blockage when it is already present. The data will directly address the need for further work to advance our dietary recommendations for the prevention of heart disease and stroke.