Smart Living: Can Fish Oil Lower Triglyceride Levels?

Widely touted for their cardiac benefits, fish oil supplements might be able to help lower triglyceride elevations linked with the use of anti-HIV medications, according to a study in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Researchers say that after 16 weeks, HIVers receiving dietary and exercise counseling plus omega-3 supplements posted a mean19.5% decrease in triglycerides, compared to a 5.7% drop in those receiving only counseling. Patients taking fish oil supplements did, however, experience elevated LDL'or bad'cholesterol levels, but the researchers weren't sure whether the increase was caused directly by the supplements or by other factors.