The Effect of Fish Oil on Lipid Profile and Viscosity of Erythrocyte Suspensions in CAPD Patients

Abstract

Abstract In this study we investigated the effects of a daily supplementation of 6 g Super-EPA containing 3 g of the marine fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C 20:5 omega-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C 22:6 omega-3) for a period of 8 weeks in nine patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. The concentrations of both HDL2 cholesterol and total HDL cholesterol increased (P<0.05) and there was a marked reduction in triglycerides (P<0.05). The viscosity of erythrocyte suspensions at a haematocrit of 0.80 decreased at most shear rates, suggesting an increased erythrocyte deformability. Mean corpuscular volume decreased (P<0.05) and total cholesterol and phospholipids in the erythrocyte membrane increased. We conclude that the daily use of 3 g of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids by CAPD patients produces favourable effects on lipid profile and viscosity of erythrocyte suspensions, which may be of importance in protecting these patients against a further progression of atherosclerosis.