Add omega-3 to cholesterol drugs

Posted on 15. Feb, 2010 by in Health Professionals, How to Get Started

Adding Omega-3 fatty acids to standard medication for high cholesterol can significantly enhance the effect, new research indicates.

Patients with high cholesterol had better results adding omega-3 to a drug regimen.

The study by Radiant Research in Chicago involved more than 250 adults who had received eight or more weeks of treatment with simvastatin, a drug used to control elevated cholesterol and prevent heart disease.

After an initial eight weeks of simvastatin therapy plus dietary counseling, participants were randomly assigned into two groups. One group received 40 mg of simvastatin plus four grams of a prescription omega-3. The other group received the same amount of simvastatin and a placebo daily.

At the end of treatment, the median percentage change in non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or non-HDL-C, was significantly greater with omega-3 compared to placebo.”In these adult, mainly white patients with persistent hypertriglyceridemia, [omega-3] plus simvastatin and dietary counseling improved non-HDL-C and other lipid and lipoprotein parameters to a greater extent than simvastatin alone,” the researchers concluded.

Source: Clin Ther. 2007 Jul;29(7):1354-67