Effects of fish oil alone and combined with long chain (n-6) fatty acids on some coronary risk factors in male subjects

Abstract The effects of fish oil alone were compared with those of fish oil combined 1:1 with evening primrose oil rich in long chain (n-6) fatty acids in a double-blind cross-over study. After administration of fish oil there was a highly significant increase in 20:5 (n-3) (eicosapentaenoic acid) and 22:6 (n-3) (docosahexaenoic acid) and a significant decrease in (n-6) fatty acids in plasma phospholipids. After consumption of the fish oil/evening primrose oil mixture, the increase in (n-3) and the decrease in (n-6) fatty acids were considerably smaller. Triglycerides in serum decreased by 36% ( P P P P = ns) after fish oil alone. This difference was statistically significant ( P P P = ns) after the fish oil alone. Plasma fibrinogen decreased after both oils. The combined oils did not raise plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen at all, whereas after fish oil there was a 49% ( P P P