The longitudinal study showed that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in a person's blood were associated with a reduced rate of lung function decline. The researchers followed participants for an average of seven years and up to 20 years. They comprised a racially diverse group of adults, with an average age of 56 years, and 55% were female. The participants studied were generally healthy when the study began, and the majority had no evidence of chronic lung disease.

In the first part, the researchers conducted a longitudinal, observational study involving 15,063 Americans from the NHLBI Pooled Cohorts Study - a large collection of NIH-funded studies that helps researchers to study determinants of personalized risk for chronic lung disease. To learn more, researchers developed a two-part study investigating the link between omega-3 fatty acid levels in the blood and lung function over time. However, robust studies of this association have been lacking, until now. Past studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may help, due largely to their established anti-inflammatory actions. There's increased interest in trying to understand whether nutritional interventions could contribute to lung disease prevention efforts. 'This study adds to growing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids, which are part of a healthy diet, may be important for lung health too.' Cassano, Ph.D., director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. 'We know a lot about the role of diet in cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but the role of diet in chronic lung disease is somewhat understudied,' said corresponding author Patricia A.

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