Fish-oil supplements

Omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosa-hexaenoic acid), the predominant fatty acids in the oil of cold-water fish, lower triglycerides by as much as 35% when taken in large amounts. Fish oil supplements may be useful for patients with high triglycerides despite diet, alcohol restriction, and fibrate therapy. This effect may be modulated thru PPAR-a and a reduction in apolipoprotein B-100 secretion. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce platelet aggregation and have... 

In epidemiologic studies, ingestion of large amounts of cold-water oily fish was associated with a reduction in CHD risk. Fish oil supplementation has a fairly large effect in reducing triglycerides and VLDL cholesterol, but it either has no effect on total and LDL cholesterol or may cause elevations in these fractions. Other actions of fish oil may account for any cardioprotective effects. 

Fish oil supplementation may be most useful in patients with hypertriglyceridemia, but its role in treatment is not well defined. 

Complications of fish oil supplementation such as thrombocytopenia and bleeding disorders have been noted, especially with high doses (EPA, 15 to 30 g/day). 

Type III hyperlipoproteinemia may be treated with fibrates or niacin. Although fibrates have been suggested as the drugs of choice, niacin is a reasonable alternative because of the lack of data supporting a cardiovascular mortality benefit from fibrates and because of their potentially serious adverse effects. Fish oil supplementation may be an alternative therapy. 

D7. Dallongeville, J., Selinger, E., Davigon, J., and Lussier-Cacan, S., Fish-oil supplementation reduces Lp(a) concentrations in type III dysbetalipoproteinemia. Clin. Chem. (Winston-Salem. NC) 38, 1510-1511 (1992). 

Hardman, W. E., Moyer, M. P., and Cameron, I. L., 1999, Fish oil supplementation enhanced CPT-11 (irinotecan) efficacy against MCF7 breast carcinoma xenografts and amehorated intestinal side-effects, Br. J. Cancer SI 440-448. 

Fish Oil Supplements (Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid) Garlic Allium sativum) Gentian Genliana luiea) GingCT Zingiber officinale)... 

Fish Oil Supplements (Omega 3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid)... 

Raitt, M. H., Connor, W. E., Morris, C., Kron, J., Halperin, B., Chugh, S. S., McClelland, J., Cook, J., and MacMurdy, K. (2005). Fish oil supplementation and risk of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation in patients with implantable defibrillators A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 293, 2884-2891. 

Smit EN, Oelen EA, Seerat E, Boersma ER, Muskiet FAJ (2000) Fish oil supplementation improves docosahexaenoic acid status of malnourished infants. Arch Dis Child 82 366-369... 

Cleland, L.G., French, J.K., Betts, W.H., Murphy, G.A., Elliott, M.J. (1988). Clinical and biochemical effects of dietary fish oil supplements in rheumatoid-arthritis. Journal of Rheumatology, 15, 1471-1475. 

Oily fish and extracted fish oils contain high concentrations of EPA and DHA. Fish oils also contain vitamins A and D. Oil derived from cod, halibut, or shark liver, or from fish body, typically contains about 200 mg/ml of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, cod liver oil provides 50 pg/ml of vitamin A and 2 pg/ml of vitamin D. Many fish oil supplements are artificially enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. 

Some of the beneficial effects of fish oils after acute myocardial infarction have been attributed to an antidysr-hythmic effect on the heart (5). However, the results of a randomized trial in 200 patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators are at variance with this the rate of cardioversion was higher in those taking fish oils 1.8 g/day than in a control group who took olive oil (6). The lack of benefit and the suggestion that fish oil supplementation may increase the risk of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation in some patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators can reasonably be interpreted as evidence that the routine use of fish oil supplementation in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators and recurrent ventricular dysrhythmias should be avoided. 

Fish oil supplements should be used with care in patients with hemophilia and anyone taking high doses of anticoagulants or aspirin. 

During early pregnancy, high doses of vitamin A (as found in halibut and shark liver oils) can lead to birth defects (15). Fish oil supplements rich in vitamin A should therefore be avoided by women in the first trimester and those who might become pregnant. 

In a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study of the effect of fish oil supplements 3-6 g/day for 4 weeks on the International Normalized Ratio (INR) in 16 patients taking chronic warfarin therapy there was no statistically significant effect on anticoagulation (20). 

Bairati I, Roy L, Meyer E Double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of fish oil supplements in prevention of recur-... 

Rhodes, L.E., O Farrell, S., Jackson, M.J., and Friedmann, P.S., Dietary fish-oil supplementation in humans reduces UVB-erythemal sensitivity but increases epidermal lipid peroxidation, J. Invest. Dermatol., 103, 151, 1994. 

Erdogan, H., Fadillioglu, E., Ozgocmen, S. etal., Effect of fish oil supplementation on plasma oxidant/antioxidant status in rats, Prostaglandins Leukot. Essent. Fatty Acids, 71, 149, 2004. 

Saynor, R. and Gillott, T., Changes in blood lipids and fibrinogen with a note on safety in a long term study on the effects of n-3 fatty acids in subjects receiving fish oil supplements and followed for seven years, Lipids, 27, 533, 1992. 

A fish oil supplement for infant formula has been shown to be effective at maintaining concentrations of co-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes. Although human milk contains only small amounts of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, it contains all the w-6 and w-3 fatty acids found in erythrocyte membranes. Carlson et al. (1987) demonstrated that if infant formula is supplemented with fish oil rich in EPA (C20 5, o>-3) and DHA (C22 6, w-3), levels of these polyunsaturated fatty acids can be maintained post-birth, in erythrocyte membranes. These results indicate the effectiveness of providing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids directly in the diet rather than as precursors. 

Both fish and fish oil supplements providing the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA have been clinically documented to yield these benefits for the heart and the vascular system. It turns out that even small amounts of fish, especially the fatty, coldwater fish such as salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel, do the trick. One needn t eat fish daily, giving up all other meats. The American Heart Association recommends having two fish meals weekly. That s solidly backed up in the medical literature. 

We know for certain that people who eat fish, especially coldwater fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and sardines, protect themselves against cardiovascular disease. But can fish oil supplements provide similar protection Specifically, can taking those supplements help to control blood pressure ... 

---