Using High-Dose Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements to Lower Triglyceride Levels in 10- to 19-Year-Olds

Study answer

What this study found

High-dose omega-3 fatty acid supplementation was well tolerated but did not reduce triglycerides significantly more than placebo. In the omega-3 arm, triglycerides fell from 226 ± 24 mg/dL at baseline to 171 ± 18 mg/dL at 3 months and 165 ± 18 mg/dL at 6 months; within-arm changes were -54 ± 27 (P = .02) and -61 ± 31 (P = .03), but between-group differences were not significant (P = .52 and P = .43). LDL increased by 14 ± 6 mg/dL at 3 months (P = .02), while other vascular and anthropometric outcomes were mixed and generally not superior to placebo. The authors concluded that triglyceride…

Study & population

Randomized placebo-controlled trial in adolescents 10 to 19 years old with moderate to severe hypertriglyceridemia, recruited from pediatric clinics in Boston, United States.

Intervention

Participants in the active arm took four 1-g Lovaza capsules daily by mouth for 6 months, for a total dose of about 4 g/day of omega-3 fatty acids.

Key limitation

The trial was small and short, limiting power to detect differences versus placebo and to assess longer-term safety or efficacy.

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Original abstract