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Thromb Haemost 1994; 72(04): 557-562
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1648914
Original Article
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Both Fish Oil and Olive Oil Lowered Plasma Fibrinogen in Women with High Baseline Fibrinogen Levels

W Oosthuizen
1   The Nutrition Research Group, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Potchefstroom, South Africa
,
H H Vorster
1   The Nutrition Research Group, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Potchefstroom, South Africa
,
J C Jerling
1   The Nutrition Research Group, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Potchefstroom, South Africa
,
H C Barnard
2   Department of Chemical Pathology, University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
,
C M Smuts
3   National Research Program for Nutritional Intervention, Tygerberg, South Africa
,
N Silvis
1   The Nutrition Research Group, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Potchefstroom, South Africa
,
A Kruger
1   The Nutrition Research Group, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Potchefstroom, South Africa
,
C S Venter
1   The Nutrition Research Group, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Potchefstroom, South Africa
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 24 January 1994

Accepted after resubmission 29 June 1994

Publication Date:
06 July 2018 (online)

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Summary

This double-blind, cross-over study with olive oil as placebo, examined the effect of a daily dosage of 6 g fish oil on cardiovascular risk markers of 20 healthy young volunteers (10 men, 10 women). Serum lipids and lipoproteins, and plasma coagulation and fibrinolytic enzymes, including fibrinogen concentrations and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity were measured at baseline and after 6-week supplementation of either fish or olive oil. The results showed that fish oil had an independent lowering effect on triglycerides and coagulation factors Vc and VIIc. Both fish and olive oil significantly raised PAI-1 levels and lowered plasma factor Xc and fibrinogen levels in the women, who had higher initial levels than the men. Mean fibrinogen levels of the women were lowered from 3.23 ± 0.98 to 2.64 ± 0.55 g/1 and from 3.19 ± 0.72 to 2.66 ± 0.49 g/1 by fish and olive oil respectively. This study raises the question whether a particular fatty acid or group of fatty acids, or another constituent of the oil such as vitamin E may be responsible for the fibrinogen lowering effect.

 

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