Brunton Stephen, Collins Nancy
Cabarrus Family Medicine Residency, Concord, NC, USA.
Curr Med Res Opin. 2007 May;23(5):1139-45. doi: 10.1185/030079907x188017.
A reliable means of treating hyper-triglyceridemia is the use of large doses of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Modest levels of EPA and DHA may be obtained from food, particularly fatty fish.
This article is intended to review clinically relevant differences between dietary-supplement omega-3 fatty acids and prescription omega-3-acid ethyl esters (P-OM3).
PubMed and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Website were searched for articles published between 1995 and 2007 that contained the terms fish oil, fatty acids, n-3 fatty acids, omega fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid, or eicosapentaenoic acid. Articles discussing sources, recommended intake, and differences among various formulations of omega-3 fatty acids were selected for review. A limitation to this review is the lack of head-to-head clinical trials using P-OM3 and dietary-supplement omega-3 fatty acids.
Many types of nonprescription dietary supplements of omega-3 fatty acids are available; however, the efficacy, quality, and safety of these products are open to question because they are not regulated by the same standards as pharmaceutical agents. P-OM3 is the only omega-3 fatty acid product (Omacor capsules) approved by the US FDA available in the United States as an adjunct to diet to reduce very high (> or = 500 mg/dL) triglyceride levels in adult patients.
P-OM3 can be used with confidence by practitioners who want to provide therapeutic doses of omega-3 fatty acids in a preparation that has been documented to be both safe and effective.
治疗高甘油三酯血症的一种可靠方法是使用大剂量的ω-3脂肪酸二十碳五烯酸（EPA）和二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）。从食物中，特别是富含脂肪的鱼类中，可以获取适量的EPA和DHA。
本文旨在综述膳食补充剂ω-3脂肪酸与处方用ω-3酸乙酯（P-OM3）在临床方面的相关差异。
在PubMed和美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）网站上搜索1995年至2007年间发表的包含鱼油、脂肪酸、n-3脂肪酸、ω脂肪酸、二十二碳六烯酸或二十碳五烯酸等术语的文章。选择讨论ω-3脂肪酸的来源、推荐摄入量以及不同制剂之间差异的文章进行综述。本综述的一个局限性是缺乏使用P-OM3和膳食补充剂ω-3脂肪酸的直接对比临床试验。
有多种非处方的ω-3脂肪酸膳食补充剂可供选择；然而，这些产品的有效性、质量和安全性存在疑问，因为它们不像药物那样受到相同标准的监管。P-OM3是美国FDA批准的唯一一种ω-3脂肪酸产品（Omacor胶囊），在美国可作为饮食辅助手段，用于降低成年患者非常高（≥500mg/dL）的甘油三酯水平。
对于希望在一种已被证明安全有效的制剂中提供治疗剂量ω-3脂肪酸的从业者来说，可以放心使用P-OM3。
