[Effect of the administration of highly-unsaturated fatty acids on the parameters of lipoprotein metabolism and rheology of patients under chronic hemodialysis treatment].

15 hemodialysis patients with hypertriglyceridemia were treated with capsules of highly unsaturated fatty acids given in addition to their normal diet over a period of 6 months. At study start they received 12 capsules daily, each containing 105 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and 75 mg docosahexaenoic acid. There was a significant fall in triglycerides from an initial 521 mg/dl on average to 334 mg/dl. Total cholesterol was reduced from 266 mg/dl to 233 mg/dl with a continuous fall throughout the study period, chiefly involving LDL cholesterol which fell from 227 mg/dl to 192 mg/dl. Total HDL cholesterol remained essentially unchanged with a mean of 25 mg/dl. These changes were accompanied by a reduction in apolipoprotein A1 from 118 mg/dl to 109 mg/dl and in B from 212 mg/dl to 204 mg/dl. Parameters of whole blood viscosity decreased significantly, while plasma viscosity remained unchanged. The conclusion which may be drawn is that supplementation with fish oil in addition to the normal food intake of dialysis patients contributes to an improvement in lipoprotein metabolism and so may reduce long-term cardiovascular risk factors.