ABSTRACT
Hypertension is a highly prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Factors such as heredity, obesity, and diet have been implicated in the development of hypertension (1). Control of hypertension decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease (2). Although pharmacologic therapy has proven effective in controlling high blood pressure, it can be associated with a range of adverse side effects. Nonpharmacologic interventions such as reducing body weight, increasing physical activity, and changing dietary intake may be more appropriate and have recently been recommended for the prevention of hypertension (1,3). An exciting area of research is the role of dietary fat intake, specifically n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), in hypertension. Early human studies demonstrated a beneficial effect of a high dietary intake of n-6 PUFA, linoleic acid, on blood pressure (4-6).
