Krill oil reduces triglyceride levels in the blood in people with severely elevated levels, achieving an important measured goal in cardiovascular health, a new review of two twin clinical trials published in JAMA has found.
 
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, with 18 million people dying due to CVD every year. Triglycerides are lipids found in blood, and elevations in blood concentrations of these lipids is substantially associated with heart disease risk.
 
The authors of the recent study observed the effects that krill oil supplementation would have on 520 participants with severely high triglyceride levels, characterized as hypertriglyceridemia, versus placebo. Triglyceride levels, plasma omega-3s, and cholesterol levels were measured before, during, and after the 26-week duration of the trials. During the trial period, all participants received continued dietary counseling and medications.
 
Among the participants, krill oil consumption resulted in an average 26% decrease in blood triglyceride levels from baseline, vs. a 15.1% reduction seen in the placebo group after 12 weeks. After 26 weeks, the patients consuming krill oil saw an average 33.5% reduction in blood triglyceride levels from baseline, versus a 20.8% reduction among the placebo group, giving a significant treatment difference of -12.7%. Reductions were even more pronounced among participants who were on medications to help with their high triglyceride levels, compared to the study population at large.
 
The authors of the study noted that the present study is the largest randomized, controlled investigation to date on an omega-3 fatty acid formulation among patients diagnosed with severe hypertriglyceridemia. “Other prescription omega-3 formulations investigated in their phase 3 trials for severe hypertriglyceridemia lowered TG levels from between a 12% to a 39% reduction. These trials were generally much smaller and of shorter duration.” Compared to prescription ethyl ester formulations, the authors also noted that the krill oil treatment was less dependent on co-consumption with high-fat meals for bioavailability, “which is relevant because low-fat diets are recommended for severe hypertriglyceridemia.”
 
“When analyzing only those patients receiving medications for their hypertriglyceridemia at study start, the authors observed even stronger reductions in the krill oil group and less reductions in the placebo group,” Katina Handeland, research and development director for human health and nutrition at Aker BioMarine, the supplier of the krill oil supplements used in the study, said. Aker BioMarine didn’t conduct the study, the company noted.
 
“This is interesting as these patients may represent an even more “true” hypertriglyceridemia patient population.”