HIV and antiretrovirals: lower triglycerides thanks to Omega 3 supplements

HIV patients who have excessively high triglyceride concentrations can reduce the problem bytaking Omega 3. The safety of the treatment was demonstrated in a study published in the Journal of Acquired Immunodeficience Syndrome. A team of scientists, led by Jean-Claude Melchior of the Hôpital Raymond Poincaré in Garches, France, monitored the blood fat levels of individuals keeping the infection under control by taking very potent antiretroviral drugs.

Thyroglycerides, HIV and Omega-3s.

Antiretroviral drugs enable HIV-infected individuals to achieve life expectancies comparable to those of the rest of the population. However, their intake is associated with an increase in blood fats. To try to remedy this side effect, Melchior and colleagues evaluated the possibility of administering Omega-3 rich fish oil to these patients. These fatty acids are indeed known for their ability to reduce levels of triglycerides and so-called "bad" cholesterol in uninfected individuals.

The study

The research involved 122 patients with triglyceride levels between 2 and 10 grams per liter, all on antiretroviral drugs:

- 60 participants were given 2 capsules containing 1 gram of fish oil each 3 times a day;

- the other patients took the same amount of capsules, however, inside which was only a placebo.

The experiment continued for 8 weeks, at the end of which the researchers found that in those who had taken Omega-3s, triglyceride levels had decreased, on average, by 25.5%. In the other individuals, a 1% increase was observed. Specifically, the average triglyceride concentration after fish oil administration was 3.4 grams/liter, compared with 4.8 grams/liter found in those who had taken placebo. The response of individuals treated with Omega-3 was very different from case to case. In fact, the observed decrease ranged from 8.4 to 40.9 percent. Moreover, in those who had taken fish oil, cholesterol levels were 8.5 percent lower than in the other patients. Over the next 8 weeks all participants took fish oil. This resulted in a 21.2% reduction in triglycerides even in patients who had previously received placebo. At the same time, prolonging the treatment stabilized the levels of these fats in those who had been taking Omega-3 since the beginning of the experiment.

Effective even in borderline cases

The research also included 10 patients in whom initial triglyceride levels were above 10 grams/liter, who were always given only Omega-3. In this case, the average decrease observed after 8 weeks was 43.6 percent.

Help without side effects

According to the researchers, these results indicate that fish oil may be a valuable approach for reducing blood fats during antiretroviral therapies, especially because of theabsence of side effects. The data collected suggest that their use can normalize triglyceride levels in 22.4 percent of patients, but in cases where the reduction is greater than 20 percent, the success rate can rise to 58.6 percent.