Omega-3 supplements lower triglyceride levels in postmenopausal women

Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids helps reduce triglyceride levels in postmenopausal women, according to a study. This supplement also leads to a modest increase in high- (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on serum lipids in women during the postmenopausal period. They searched multiple online databases for relevant studies, which were synthesized using the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model.

Pooled data revealed that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation was associated with a reduction in triglyceride concentrations (weighted mean difference [WMD], –17.8 mg/dL, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], –26 to –9.6; p<0.001).

The triglyceride-lowering effect was especially pronounced in the RCTs that lasted ≤16 weeks (WMD, –18.6 mg/dL), among postmenopausal women with baseline triglyceride concentrations ≥150 mg/dL (WMD, –22.8 mg/dL), among those with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m² (WMD, –19.3 mg/dL), and when the dose of omega-3 fatty acids was ≥1 g/d (WMD, –21.10 mg/dL).

Additionally, omega-3 supplementation was associated with increases in LDL-C (WMD, 4.1 mg/dL, 95 percent CI, 1.80–6.36; p<0.001) and HDL-C (WMD, 2.1 mg/dL, 95 percent CI, 0.97–3.2; p<0.001). On the other hand, total cholesterol levels remained unchanged (WMD, –0.15 mg/dL, 95 percent CI, –4 to 3.74; p=0.94).