William S. Harris

Last updated
Bill Harris

PhD, FAHA
Born
William S. Harris
Alma mater University of Minnesota
OccupationHuman Nutrition Researcher
Known forOmega-3 Fatty Acid research
Website Profile on OmegaQuant.com

William S. Harris, (also known as Bill Harris) PhD FAHA FASN is an American professor and researcher focusing on human nutrition. His work has focused on the role of Omega-3 fatty acids as they relate to cardiovascular disease and neuropsychiatric disease. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Education and Academic Career

A 1971 graduate of Hanover College where he majored in chemistry, [5] Harris completed a PhD in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Minnesota in 1978 [6] He was a Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he was the Daniel J. Lauer/Missouri Chair in Lipid Metabolism until 2006. [4] [7] He co-directed the Lipid and Diabetes Research Center at the Mid America Heart Institute of Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City. [4] In 2006, he joined faculty at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, where he directed the Cardiovascular Health Research Center at the Sanford Research Center. [6]

Industry career

Harris founded OmegaQuant in 2009 to develop the RBC omega-3 index as a research assay. [6] This assay was later acquired by the Health Diagnostic Laboratory. [4]

Research

His work focused on the role of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in human disease, [8] and specifically the development of an RBC omega-3 index. [1] [2] [3] In 2009, he chaired an American Heart Association science advisory on Omega-6 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. [9] He has authored >300 manuscripts in peer-reviewed literature. [10]

Honors & Awards

Harris is a Fellow of the American Heart Association and a Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cholesterol</span> Sterol biosynthesized by all animal cells

Cholesterol is the principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fat</span> Esters of fatty acid or triglycerides

In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is one of the five major groups of lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are complex particles composed of multiple proteins which transport all fat molecules (lipids) around the body within the water outside cells. They are typically composed of 80–100 proteins per particle. HDL particles enlarge while circulating in the blood, aggregating more fat molecules and transporting up to hundreds of fat molecules per particle.

Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega−3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or n−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond, three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chemical structure. They are widely distributed in nature, being important constituents of animal lipid metabolism, and they play an important role in the human diet and in human physiology. The three types of omega−3 fatty acids involved in human physiology are α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA can be found in plants, while DHA and EPA are found in algae and fish. Marine algae and phytoplankton are primary sources of omega−3 fatty acids. DHA and EPA accumulate in fish that eat these algae. Common sources of plant oils containing ALA include walnuts, edible seeds, and flaxseeds as well as hempseed oil, while sources of EPA and DHA include fish and fish oils, and algae oil.

α-Linolenic acid Chemical compound

α-Linolenic acid, also known as alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA), is an n−3, or omega-3, essential fatty acid. ALA is found in many seeds and oils, including flaxseed, walnuts, chia, hemp, and many common vegetable oils.

A saturated fat is a type of fat in which the fatty acid chains have all single bonds. A fat known as a glyceride is made of two kinds of smaller molecules: a short glycerol backbone and fatty acids that each contain a long linear or branched chain of carbon (C) atoms. Along the chain, some carbon atoms are linked by single bonds (-C-C-) and others are linked by double bonds (-C=C-). A double bond along the carbon chain can react with a pair of hydrogen atoms to change into a single -C-C- bond, with each H atom now bonded to one of the two C atoms. Glyceride fats without any carbon chain double bonds are called saturated because they are "saturated with" hydrogen atoms, having no double bonds available to react with more hydrogen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arachidonic acid</span> Fatty acid used metabolically in many organisms

Arachidonic acid is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid 20:4(ω-6), or 20:4(5,8,11,14). It is structurally related to the saturated arachidic acid found in cupuaçu butter. Its name derives from the Neo-Latin word arachis (peanut), but peanut oil does not contain any arachidonic acid.

Dyslipidemia is a metabolic disorder characterized by abnormally high or low amounts of any or all lipids or lipoproteins in the blood. Dyslipidemia is a risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD), which include coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral artery disease. Although dyslipidemia is a risk factor for ASCVD, abnormal levels don't mean that lipid lowering agents need to be started. Other factors, such as comorbid conditions and lifestyle in addition to dyslipidemia, is considered in a cardiovascular risk assessment. In developed countries, most dyslipidemias are hyperlipidemias; that is, an elevation of lipids in the blood. This is often due to diet and lifestyle. Prolonged elevation of insulin resistance can also lead to dyslipidemia. Likewise, increased levels of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) may cause dyslipidemia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omega-6 fatty acid</span> Fatty acids where the sixth bond is double

Omega-6 fatty acids are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids that have in common a final carbon-carbon double bond in the n-6 position, that is, the sixth bond, counting from the methyl end.

Linoleic acid (LA) is an organic compound with the formula HOOC(CH
2
)
7
CH=CHCH
2
CH=CH(CH
2
)
4
CH
3
. Both alkene groups are cis. It is a fatty acid sometimes denoted 18:2 (n-6) or 18:2 cis-9,12. A linoleate is a salt or ester of this acid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fish oil</span> Oil derived from the tissues of oily fish

Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish. Fish oils contain the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), precursors of certain eicosanoids that are known to reduce inflammation in the body and improve hypertriglyceridemia. There has been a great deal of controversy in the 21st century about the role of fish oil in cardiovascular disease, with recent meta-analyses reaching different conclusions about its potential impact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eicosapentaenoic acid</span> Chemical compound

Eicosapentaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid. In physiological literature, it is given the name 20:5(n-3). It also has the trivial name timnodonic acid. In chemical structure, EPA is a carboxylic acid with a 20-carbon chain and five cis double bonds; the first double bond is located at the third carbon from the omega end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Docosahexaenoic acid</span> Chemical compound

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that is a primary structural component of the human brain, cerebral cortex, skin, and retina. In physiological literature, it is given the name 22:6(n-3). It can be synthesized from alpha-linolenic acid or obtained directly from maternal milk, fatty fish, fish oil, or algae oil.

The chronic endothelial injury hypothesis is one of two major mechanisms postulated to explain the underlying cause of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD), the other being the lipid hypothesis. Although an ongoing debate involving connection between dietary lipids and CHD sometimes portrays the two hypotheses as being opposed, they are in no way mutually exclusive. Moreover, since the discovery of the role of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, the two hypotheses have become tightly linked by a number of molecular and cellular processes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid</span> Medication

Ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid, sold under the brand name Vascepa among others, is a medication used to treat dyslipidemia and hypertriglyceridemia. It is used in combination with changes in diet in adults with hypertriglyceridemia ≥ 150 mg/dL. Further, it is often required to be used with a statin.

Only two essential fatty acids are known to be essential for humans: alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid. The biological effects of the ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids are mediated by their mutual interactions. Closely related, these fatty acids act as competing substrates for the same enzymes. The biological effects of the ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids are largely mediated by essential fatty acid interactions. The proportion of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in a diet may have metabolic consequences. Unlike omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids, omega-9 fatty acids are not classed as essential fatty acids because they can be created by the human body from monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids, and are therefore not essential in the diet.

George Edward Billman is an American physiologist and professor at Ohio State University. After receiving a Ph.D from the University of Kentucky in 1980, Billman began his professional career at the University of Oklahoma. In 1984, he joined the Ohio State staff, where he became an associate professor in 1990 and a full professor in 1996.

Omega-3 carboxylic acids (Epanova) is a formerly marketed yet still not an Food And Drug Administration (FDA) approved prescription medication–since taken off market by the manufacturer–used alongside a low fat and low cholesterol diet that lowers high triglyceride (fat) levels in adults with very high levels. This was the third class of fish oil-based drug, after omega-3 acid ethyl esters and ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid (Vascepa), to be approved for use as a drug. The first approval by US Food and Drug Administration was granted 05 May 2014. These fish oil drugs are similar to fish oil dietary supplements, but the ingredients are better controlled and have been tested in clinical trials. Specifically, Epanova contained at least 850 mg omega-3-acid ethyl esters per 1 g capsule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epoxyeicosatetraenoic acid</span> Chemical compound

Epoxyeicosatetraenoic acids are a set of biologically active epoxides that various cell types make by metabolizing the omega 3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), with certain cytochrome P450 epoxygenases. These epoxygenases can metabolize EPA to as many as 10 epoxides that differ in the site and/or stereoisomer of the epoxide formed; however, the formed EEQs, while differing in potency, often have similar bioactivities and are commonly considered together.

References

  1. 1 2 Tan ZS, Harris WS, Beiser AS, Au R, Himali JJ, Debette S, Pikula A, Decarli C, Wolf PA, Vasan RS, Robins SJ, Seshadri S (February 2012). "Red blood cell ω-3 fatty acid levels and markers of accelerated brain aging". Neurology. 78 (9): 658–64. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e318249f6a9. PMC   3286229 . PMID   22371413.
  2. 1 2 Shearer GC, Pottala JV, Spertus JA, Harris WS (2009). "Red blood cell fatty acid patterns and acute coronary syndrome". PLOS ONE. 4 (5): e5444. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.5444S. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005444 . PMC   2673680 . PMID   19421317.
  3. 1 2 Kris-Etherton PM, Harris WS, Appel LJ (November 2002). "Fish consumption, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids, and cardiovascular disease". Circulation. 106 (21): 2747–57. doi:10.1161/01.cir.0000038493.65177.94. PMID   12438303.
  4. 1 2 3 4 William S. Harris, PhD Biography hosted at cim.med.miami.edu. Accessed 2021-09-01.
  5. "William S. Harris". ORCID. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  6. 1 2 3 Passwater, Richard A (21 November 2019). "Updated Suggestions for Omega Balanced Fatty Acids and Exciting New Fish Oil Studies". Whole Foods Magazine. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  7. Harris, William S. "The COMBination of Prescription Omega-3 With Simvastatin (COMBOS) Study: An Expert Interview With William S. Harris, PhD". Medscape. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  8. Harris WS (June 1989). "Fish oils and plasma lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in humans: a critical review". J Lipid Res. 30 (6): 785–807. doi: 10.1016/S0022-2275(20)38310-3 . PMID   2677200.
  9. Harris WS, Mozaffarian D, Rimm E, Kris-Etherton P, Rudel LL, Appel LJ; et al. (2009). "Omega-6 fatty acids and risk for cardiovascular disease: a science advisory from the American Heart Association Nutrition Subcommittee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism; Council on Cardiovascular Nursing; and Council on Epidemiology and Prevention". Circulation. 119 (6): 902–7. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.191627. PMID   19171857. S2CID   15072227.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. PubMed index of William S. Harris. Accessed 01 Sept 2021.
  11. ASN Staff (13 May 2020). "The American Society for Nutrition Foundation Announces Class of 2020 Fellows". American Society for Nutrition. Retrieved 1 September 2021.