Effects of Moderate-Dose Omega-3 Fish Oil on Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Mood After Ischemic Stroke: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Study answer

What this study found

Twelve weeks of moderate-dose fish oil did not improve cardiovascular or inflammatory biomarkers after ischemic stroke. Triglycerides were not different from placebo at week 12 (treatment difference -0.059 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.39 to 0.27; P = 0.72), and there were no meaningful effects on total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, LDL particle size, hsCRP, fibrinogen, or other lipid measures. Mood and health-related quality-of-life outcomes also did not improve overall; placebo showed greater improvement in GHQ-28 total score and social dysfunction (P = 0.04 and P = 0.03). The authors concluded that the…

Study & population

Randomized, controlled, 1:1 trial conducted at a single hospital site in Auckland, New Zealand.

Intervention

Fish oil was given as 3 g/day of encapsulated hoki liver oil, providing about 1.2 g/day total omega-3 PUFA (DHA 0.7 g and EPA 0.3 g).

Key limitation

The trial was relatively small, single-center, and short at 12 weeks, which limits power and the ability to detect longer-term effects.

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Original abstract