Effects of ω3-fatty Acid Supplement on Serum Lipids and Lipoproteins in Hemodialysis Patients

Background and Research on non-hemodialysis patients has shown that ω3-fatty acid supplement can reduce the concentration of serum Lp(a). Therefore the present study was designed to investigate the effects of ω3-fatty acid supplement on serum lipids and lipoproteins in hemodialysis patients. Methods and Materials: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 40 hemodialysis patients in 2008 in Vase’i Hospital in Sabzevar Iran; they were randomly assigned to either ω3-fatty acid supplement or placebo group. Patients in the ω3-fatty acid supplement group received 2080 mg ω3-fatty acid daily as 4 capsules while the placebo group received 4 corresponding placebo capsules containing MCT oil. At baseline and the end of week 10 of the study 5 ml blood samples were collected from each patient after a 12 to 14-hour fasting before dialysis; their serum triglyceride total cholesterol LDL-C HDL-C and Lp(a) were measured. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS using Chi-square t-test paired t-test and ANOVA. Serum triglyceride concentration were 11332 and 10919 in the supplement and placebo groups respectively in the beginning; the amounts decreased to 10125 and 11517 at the end of week 10. The reduction was significant in the supplement group....