promega and Angina-Pectoris

In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the effects of treatment with fish oil (eicosapentaenoic acid, 1.08 g/day) and mustard oil (alpha-linolenic acid, 2.9 g/day) were compared for 1 year in the management of 122 patients (fish oil, group A), 120 patients (mustard oil, group B), and 118 patients (placebo, group C) with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Treatments were administered about (mean) 18 hours after the symptoms of AMI in all three groups. The extent of cardiac disease, rise in cardiac enzymes, and lipid peroxides were comparable among the groups at entry into the study. After 1 year total cardiac events were significantly less in the fish oil and mustard oil groups compared with the placebo group (24.5% and 28% vs. 34.7%, p < 0.01). Nonfatal infarctions were also significantly less in the fish oil and mustard oil groups compared with the placebo group (13.0% and 15.0% vs. 25.4%, p < 0.05). Total cardiac deaths showed no significant reduction in the mustard oil group; however, the fish oil group had significantly less cardiac deaths compared with the placebo group (11.4% vs. 22.0%, p < 0.05). Apart from the decrease in the cardiac event rate, the fish oil and mustard oil groups also showed a significant reduction in total cardiac arrhythmias, left ventricular enlargement, and angina pectoris compared with the placebo group. Reductions in blood lipoproteins in the two intervention groups were modest and do not appear to be the cause of the benefit in the two groups. Diene conjugates showed a significant reduction in the fish oil and mustard oil groups, indicating that a part of the benefit may be caused by the reduction in oxidative stress. The findings of this study suggest that fish oil and mustard oil, possibly due to the presence of n-3 fatty acids, may provide rapid protective effects in patients with AMI. However, a large study is necessary to confirm this suggestion.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Angina Pectoris; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cholesterol, HDL; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Double-Blind Method; Drug Combinations; Eicosapentaenoic Acid; Female; Fish Oils; Follow-Up Studies; Heart; Humans; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; India; Lipid Peroxidation; Lipoproteins; Male; Middle Aged; Mustard Plant; Myocardial Infarction; Myocardium; Oxidative Stress; Plant Extracts; Plant Oils; Plants, Medicinal; Triglycerides

The effect of fish oil on lipids, coagulation and fibrinolysis was investigated in patients with stable angina pectoris. The patients were given a daily supplement of 4.5 g n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA's) for 4 weeks and were then randomized to the same oil or to fish oil (4.5 g n-3 PUFA's) for 12 weeks. Blood samples were taken before and after 16 weeks of oil supplementation. Lipids, coagulation and fibrinolysis were measured in 14 patients treated with fish oil. There was a significant decrease in triglycerides and very low density lipoproteins but unexpectedly a significant increase in total cholesterol from 5.9 to 6.7 mmol/l after fish oil. The fibrinolytic activity at rest determined by the fibrin plate method showed a decrease after fish oil. Other measurements did not reveal any statistically significant changes. These finding necessitate caution with uncontrolled supplementation with fish oil in patients with stable angina pectoris.

Topics: Angina Pectoris; Blood Coagulation; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Drug Combinations; Eicosapentaenoic Acid; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Female; Fibrinolysis; Humans; Lipids; Male; Middle Aged; Random Allocation

Topics: Angina Pectoris; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Drug Combinations; Eicosapentaenoic Acid; Electrocardiography; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Humans