A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF LOW-DOSE FISH OIL IN PRIMARY HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIA

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we prospectively investigated the effects of two low doses of fish oil (10.5 and 5.25 g daily) in capsule form in patients with primary hypertriglyceridemia. During a 6 weeks' therapy with 10.5 g fish oil, serum triglycerides decreased by a mean of 38 % from 578 +/- 167 to 358 +/- 66 mg/dl (p < 0.05). With 5.25 g daily, triglyceride levels fell by 20 % from 538 +/- 100 to 431 +/- 64 mg/dl (n.s.). With placebo, triglycerides increased by 8 % from 835 +/- 176 to 900 +/- 228 mg/dl (n.s.). Total and HDL-cholesterol levels remained uninfluenced in all groups. Serum alkaline phosphatase decreased by a mean of 12 % from 86 +/- 7 to 76 +/- 6 units/l in the patients treated with 10.5 g fish oil (p < 0.01). Platelet aggregation after induction with collagen was slightly, but significantly inhibited in the patients treated with the higher dose of fish oil. Thus, in patients with primary hypertriglyceridemia, fish oil at a daily dose of 10.5, but not at 5.25 g, led to a significant reduction of serum triglyceride levels and to an inhibition of platelet aggregation.