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Research: STARK and colleagues,
Listed in Issue 59
Abstract
STARK and colleagues, Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Canada investigated the effect of a fish-oil concentrate on serum lipids in postmenopausal women.
Background
n-3 Fatty acid supplementation lowered serum triacylglycerol concentrations in studies in which most of the subjects were male. The effects of n-3 fatty acid supplementation in postmenopausal women receiving and not receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have received little attention. The authors sought to determine the effects of a fish-oil-derived n-3 fatty acid concentrate on serum lipid and lipoprotein risk factors for cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women receiving and not receiving HRT.
Methodology
Postmenopausal women (n = 36) were grouped according to exogenous hormone use and were randomly allocated to receive 8 capsules/d of either placebo oil (control) or n-3 fatty acid-enriched oil (supplement). The supplement provided 2.4 g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus 1.6 g docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) daily. Serum lipids and the fatty acid composition of serum phospholipids were determined on days 0 and 28.
Results
Supplementation with n-3 fatty acids was associated with 26% lower serum triacylglycerol concentrations, a 28% lower overall ratio of serum triacylglycerol to HDL cholesterol, and markedly greater EPA and DHA concentrations in serum phospholipids.
Conclusion
These results show that supplementation with a fish-oil -derived concentrate can favourably influence selected cardiovascular disease risk factors, particularly by achieving marked reductions in serum triacylglycerol concentrations and triacylglycerol:HDL cholesterol in postmenopausal women receiving and not receiving HRT. This approach could potentially reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 27% in postmenopausal women .
References
Stark KD et al. Effect of a fish-oil concentrate on serum lipids in postmenopausal women receiving and not receiving hormone replacement therapy in a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 72(2): 389-94. Aug 2000.
