• Ian Mackay, Isobel Ford, Frank Thies, Shona Fielding, Paul Bachoo, and Julie Brittenden.
• Vascular Unit, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, United Kingdom.
• Atherosclerosis. 2012 Apr 1; 221 (2): 514-20.

ObjectiveOmega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce platelet and endothelial activation in patients with or at risk of cardiac disease. We aimed to determine if Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in addition to best medical therapy can reduce the increased platelet and endothelial activity that is present in patients with intermittent claudication.MethodsOne 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.ResultsOmega-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.ConclusionSupplementation with Omega-3 fatty acids had no affect on platelet and endothelial activation or markers of inflammation in patients with peripheral arterial disease.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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