Impact of omega-3 fatty acids and/or plant sterol supplementation on non-HDL cholesterol levels of dyslipidemic Indian adults

What this study found

Plant sterols in yogurt drink improved atherogenic lipids over 4 weeks, whereas fish oil omega-3 alone did not significantly lower LDL-C or non-HDL-C. Compared with control, plant sterols decreased LDL-C by 4.5% and non-HDL-C by 7.9% (P=0.017 and P=0.0019, respectively); post-hoc analyses showed a 8.3% non-HDL-C reduction versus control (P=0.001). Omega-3 alone had no significant effect, and the combination was not better than plant sterols alone for non-HDL-C, with no significant interaction between omega-3 and plant sterols for LDL-C (P=0.512) or non-HDL-C (P=0.558).

Study & population

Randomized controlled trial in mildly hypercholesterolemic Indian adults aged 35 to 55 years who were employees of a large industry in northern India.

Intervention

Three active regimens were tested for 4 weeks: 2 g/day long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil capsules, 2 g/day plant sterols delivered in a yogurt drink, and the combination of both active supplements.

Key limitation

The intervention was short, lasting only 4 weeks, which limits inference about longer-term lipid effects and safety.

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