[Clinical evaluation of aiconol side effects]

In the study of 164 patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia the authors studied side effects of aiconol, concentrated cod liver oil. Its lipid component contains not less than 18% of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). All the patients were divided into 4 groups: 51 subjects of group 1 received aiconol in the form of oil, 35 subjects of group 2 had protein dietetic caviar prepared from animal proteins with addition of 3% aiconol, 38 subjects of group 3 were given protein-oil emulsion containing 20% aiconol and 40 patients of group 4 took gelatin aiconol in capsules. Side effects of the above food ingredients enriched with omega-3 PUFA were found to be of metabolic nature. These manifested most evidently in patients on oil aiconol incorporating both maximal doses of omega-3 PUFA and the largest amounts of inert constituents acting as additional fat load on the liver and pancreas. Group 1 patients also suffered from aggravated chronic gastrointestinal, hepatic and pancreatic disorders. Because of reduced quantities of omega-3 PUFA in the diets of group 2, 3 and 4 patients, they displayed much less severe side effects.