One hundred and fifty patients who were receiving aspirin and statin therapy were recruited into a randomised cross-over double blind study involving 6 week supplementation with OMACOR fish oil (850-882 mg eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid) versus placebo. A 12 week washout period occurred between treatments. Patients with diabetes were excluded. For each outcome a random effects model was fitted in which treatment and period were fixed effects and patients were random effects.
Omega-3 supplementation had no effect on the primary outcome measure von Willebrand factor. Similarly Omega-3 supplementation resulted in no change in unstimulated or stimulated P-selectin expression and fibrinogen binding, or platelet aggregation (ultegra point of care). Pulse wave velocity was also unchanged. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, s-ICAM and IL-6 were also unchanged.
Supplementation with Omega-3 fatty acids had no affect on platelet and endothelial activation or markers of inflammation in patients with peripheral arterial disease.