An epidemiological study in the Danish Green-land Inuit suggested a key role of fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids) in the prevention of atherosclerotic diseases 1). Following this landmark study, the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids as part of a diet rich in fatty acids have been extensively researched, with large-scale epidemiological studies, clinical outcomes trials, and meta-analyses demo...

Recently in PNAS, Hoshi et al. (1) report the results of elegant studies defining the molecular basis for the blood pressure-lowering effect of omega-3 fatty acids, in particular docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They found that DHA, when infused intravenously, activated the large-conductance Caand voltage-activated K (BK) channels in vascular smooth muscle but that the infusion of DHA ethyl esters (...

Purpose. To assess the possible beneficial effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ethyl ester on visual function in DHA-deficient patients with peroxisome biogenesis disorders (PBDs). Methods. A total of 23 patients were studied, of whom 2 had classic Zellweger syndrome and 1 had a D-bifunctional protein (DBP) deficiency. Most of the PBD patients could be followed up, but for only nine of them w...

The enzymatic transesterification of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ethyl ester with glycerol was performed with several lipases in a solvent-free system and it involves the initial formation of sn-2 docosahexaenyl monoacylglyceride. This DHA derivative is highly relevant for improving the bioavailability of DHA and it has received increasing interest in the field of nutrition. Three commercial lip...

High levels of plasma triglycerides (TG) are a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, often associated with anomalies in other lipids or lipoproteins. Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), particularly at very high levels, significantly increases also the risk of acute pancreatitis. Thus, interventions to lower TG levels are required to reduce the risk of pancreatitis and cardiovascular disease. Severa...

An estimated 25% of adults in the United States have elevated triglyceride (TG) levels. This is of particular concern given the evidence for a causal role of TG in the pathway of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Approved prescription omega-3 fatty acid products (RxOM3FAs) contain the long-chain fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and/or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and are effective options for t...

Cardiovascular (CV) risk may remain despite statin treatment, and there is a need to address this risk with add-on therapy. The lipid effects of two different prescription omega-3 fatty acid therapies are described in a 55-year-old statin- and niacin-treated female with severe dyslipidemia and high CV risk. The patient was initially treated with omega-3-acid ethyl esters (eicosapentaenoic acid ...