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The American Heart Association recommends that people should consume 1000 mg/day of the omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), to promote heart health with higher doses taken to lower blood triglycerides in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Now, a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (2006, 25 (6): 480-485) shows that DHA alone can effectively lower triglycerides.
The prospective, randomized, double-blind study led by scientists at Kaiser Permanente Colorado involved 116 subjects with coronary artery disease and blood triglycerides greater than 200 mg/dL. Their average age was 69 years and 71% of them were men. They were randomized to receive either 1000 mg of DHA or 1252 mg of DHA + EPA for 8 weeks. Blood samples were taken at the start of the study and at 8 weeks to assess changes in the fasting blood lipid profiles.
At the end of the study period, triglycerides decreased by an average of 21.8% in the DHA group and by 18.3% in the DHA + EPA group, with this difference not being significant. A greater proportion of subjects in the DHA group achieved the goal of lowering their blood triglycerides to 150 mg/dL. (Summary in NutraIngredients.com 07/02/07).
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