One way to help reduce inflammation is to “change the patient’s oil,” reflecting the well-established anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids. There is also a practical reason to consider omega-3 fatty acids instead of relying heavily on pain medications: blood pressure. Research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (October 28, 2002; 162:2204–2208) found that frequent use of pain-relief medications was associated with an increased risk of hypertension in women. This study tracked the health of approximately 80,000 women who did not have high blood pressure at baseline and monitored their use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and acetaminophen over two years. NSAIDs reduce pain and inflammation by blocking prostaglandins, some of which also help dilate blood vessels; blocking these compounds may lead to vessel constriction and increased blood pressure. Women who used NSAIDs 22 days or more per month had an 86% higher risk of developing hypertension, while those using acetaminophen at the same frequency were nearly twice as likely to develop high blood pressure. Aspirin use was not associated with increased hypertension risk, and the authors suggested that overuse of pain medications could account for a substantial portion of hypertension cases.

In contrast, omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with modest blood-pressure–lowering effects. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Nutrition (April 2007; 137(4):973–978) randomized 38 men to receive either 700 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or placebo daily for three months, followed by a crossover after a four-month washout. During DHA supplementation, diastolic blood pressure was reduced by an average of 3.3 mm Hg, and heart rate was lower by 2.1 beats per minute. Observational data support these findings. A cross-sectional study published in Hypertension (2007; 50:313–319), involving 4,680 participants with blood pressure measured repeatedly over four clinic visits, found an inverse relationship between omega-3 fatty acid intake from food and blood pressure. Earlier evidence summarized in a meta-analysis published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (June 28, 1993; 153:1429–1438) showed that omega-3 fatty acids reduced blood pressure in both normotensive and hypertensive individuals, with the greatest reductions observed in those with the highest baseline blood pressure.