EFFECTS OF FISH-OIL SUPPLEMENTED WITH PYRIDOXINE AND FOLIC-ACID ON HOMOCYSTEINE, ATHEROGENIC INDEX, FIBRINOGEN AND PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR-1 IN MAN

Twelve volunteers, healthy or with slightly to moderately increased bl ood lipids, participated in a double-blind cross-over study in which t hey received 30 mL of fish oil with or without supplementation of the B vitamins pyridoxine (80 mg/daily) and folic acid (10 mg/daily) for 4 weeks. These vitamins have been reported to decrease homocysteine, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and to be involved in the meta bolism of unsaturated fatty acids. Fish oil with and without vitamin s upplementation resulted in lower levels of triglycerides and increased HDL cholesterol levels. Atherogenic index decreased by 24% (p<0.05) a fter the vitamin supplemented fish oil and by 12% (p<0.05) after the o ther oil. Plasma fibrinogen decreased by 15% (p<0.01) after the vitami n supplemented fish oil and by 6% (n.s.) after the other fish oil. The effect on atherogenic index and fibrinogen were significantly differe nt with the two treatments (P<0.05). Plasma homocysteine decreased by 30% after the vitamin supplemented oil, an effect due mainly to the vi tamins. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-I antigen increased by 68% (p< 0.01) after fish oil alone and by 43% (n.s.) 'after the vitamin supple mented fish oil. The difference between the two treatments was not sta tistically significant. The fish oil fatty acids and these B vitamins might thus have a synergistic effect on the lipid metabolism and fibri nogen synthesis. The results may be of importance when fish oils are p rescribed to persons with risk factors for cardiovascular disease.