Effects of fish oil on serum lipids and lipoprotein(a) levels in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

• Published in: Current therapeutic research Vol. 53; no. 6; pp. 717 - 721
• Main Authors: Salvi, A., Di Stefano, O., Sleiman, I., Spandrio, S., Balestrieri, G.P., Scalvini, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Belle Mead, NJ EM Inc USA 01.06.1993; Excerpta medica
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; General and cellular metabolism. Vitamins; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Human; Heterozygozity; Metabolic diseases; Lipids; Hyperlipoproteinemia; Lipoprotein; Enzymopathy; Cholesterol; Blood; Chemotherapy; Hypercholesterolemia; Treatment; Serum
• ISSN: 0011-393X; 1879-0313
• DOI: 10.1016/S0011-393X(05)80743-X

Ten patients (mean age, 49 ± 14 years) with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia who had high levels of lipoprotein (Lp)(a) (>30 mg/dl) and were receiving chronic treatment with simvastatin were treated with six capsules a day of fish oil for 4 weeks. Each 1-gm fish oil capsule contained almost 850 mg of omega-3 fatty acids with a ratio of eicosapentaenoic acid:docosahexaenoic acid of 1:1; the total daily dosage of omega-3 fatty acid was 5.1 gm/day. After 2 and 4 weeks of fish oil supplementation, mean serum Lp(a) levels did not change significantly (baseline, 67 ± 29 mg/dl; week 2, 68.3 ± 35 mg/dl; week 4, 60.6 ± 26 mg/dl). Triglyceride levels decreased by 23% after 2 weeks (from 1.355 ± 0.38 mmol/L to 1.05 ± 0.35 mmol/L) and by 33% after 4 weeks (to 0.91 ± 0.18 mmol/L) ( P < 0.001). Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol showed a less pronounced but still statistically significant reduction of 8% (from 7.33 ± 2.55 mmol/L to 6.76 ± 1.31 mmol/L) and 9% (from 5.52 ± 1.98 mmol/L to 5.00 ± 1.67 mmol/L), respectively, after 2 weeks. A 14% decrease in total cholesterol (to 6.30 ± 1.36 mmol/L) and LDL cholesterol (to 4.75 ± 1.49 mmol/L) ( P < 0.05) was seen after 4 weeks. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol did not change significantly. Our results on the effect of fish oil on Lp(a) levels must be confirmed by double-blind, placebo-controlled studies before any definite conclusion can be drawn.