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Continual supplementation with n-3 fatty acids does not modify plasma lipid profile in spinal cord injury patients
C Javierre1, J Vidal, R Segura
1Department of Physiological Sciences II, Medical School, Campus of Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Barcelona University, Spain.
Study Design:
A prospective study during a diet modification.
Objective:
To observe the evolution of the plasma lipid profile in a group of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients given a supplement of a mixture of docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).
Setting:
Department of Physiological Sciences II, Medical School of the University of Barcelona and Guttmann Institut of Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
Methods:
A total of 19 adult males with SCI, 17 with paraplegia and two with tetraplegia, were given a daily supplement of 1.5 g of DHA and 0.75 g of EPA for 6 months. Determination of plasma values of DHA, EPA, total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, VLDL-c, triglycerides, and glucose was performed before supplementation and at 3 and 6 months of supplementation.
Results:
A statistically significant increase in the plasma concentration of EPA (F=30.556, P<0.05) and DHA (F=106.6, P<0.05) was observed after 3 and 6 months of supplementation. However, there were no observable differences in the plasma concentration of total-cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, VLDL-c, and triglycerides during the study.
Conclusion:
DHA-EPA supplementation for 6 months does not modify the glycemic and lipid plasmatic levels in SCI patients. Despite its absence of effect on the serum lipid profile, n-3 fatty acids may induce beneficial cardiovascular effects in this population.
