An Early Phase 1 interventional study of EPA and DHA in Lipid Metabolism Disorders and Hypertriglyceridemia, sponsored by The Miriam Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 69 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-10-01.
Sponsored by The Miriam Hospital · Early Phase 1, Interventional, and Screening
The goal of this study is to learn more about omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation on blood lipid profile and platelets in patients with high cholesterol levels.
The purpose of this research is to gather information on the safety and effect of two different fish oils, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Participants will:
Visit the clinic 3 times during study checkups, tests and blood collection. Randomized to either the EPA or the DHA supplementation group. Be given a 28-day food and activity log.
Epidemiological studies suggest that consumption of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) derived from fish oil, mainly consisting of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is associated with lower cardiovascular risk. However, interventional clinical trials aimed at reducing cardiovascular incidents by n-3 PUFAs supplementations have yielded inconsistent results. An intriguing fact is that only the outcome trials using EPA, but not those testing EPA/DHA mixed regimens, showed beneficial results. This discrepancy begs the question of whether EPA and DHA have differential effects and whether DHA blunts the cardiovascular benefits of EPA. However, no head-to-head clinical trial comparison of the biological effects of EPA and DHA in the hyperlipidemia patients has been reported. Hence, a well-designed, controlled, proof-of-concept clinical study testing EPA versus DHA in a relevant population is urgently required. In this study, the human subjects with atherogenic dyslipidemia will be randomized to dietary supplementation with four grams of either EPA or DHA n-3 PUFAs for eight weeks. At baseline and after the supplementation, various markers of thrombogenesis will be assessed, including biomarkers of the clotting cascade, thromboelastography, urinary thromboxane metabolites, whole blood aggregation, platelet aggregation, and flow cytometry analysis of platelets and platelet-leukocyte aggregates will also be performed.
324 studies on the registry are indexed under Hypertriglyceridemia; 38 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 80 is above the median of 66 across 288 interventional studies indexed under Hypertriglyceridemia.
Browse Hypertriglyceridemia studies →The Miriam Hospital is the lead sponsor of 182 studies on the registry; 15 are open to participants now.
Compared within Hypertriglyceridemia, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Lipid Metabolism Disorders. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will receive DHA supplement. 3 gelcaps, three times per day with meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). DHA supplement regimen contains 450 mg DHA and minimal EPA (60 mg) per pill. Participants will be given 28-day food and activity log.
Drug: DHA
Participants will receive EPA supplement. 2 gelcaps, two times per day with meals (breakfast and dinner). 1 gelcap consists of 1 gram of EPA. Participants will be given 28-day food and activity log.
Drug: EPA
Percentage of Platelet Aggregation Area Under the Curve (AUC) Over Time
Platelet aggregation will be assessed as the primary endpoint. The percentage of platelet aggregation will be measured at multiple time points, and the area under the curve (AUC) will be calculated to serve as a comprehensive marker of platelet aggregation response. Data will be presented as mean ± standard deviation or other appropriate statistical summaries.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Percentage of Activated Platelets as Assessed by Flow Cytometry
Platelet activation will be assessed as a secondary endpoint. The percentage of activated platelets will be measured using flow cytometry, focusing on markers such as P-selectin expression and fibrinogen binding to the GPIIb/IIIa receptor. Measurements will be taken at multiple time points, and data will be summarized using statistical measures such as mean ± standard deviation.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Urinary Thromboxane Metabolite Levels normalized to urinary creatinine levels in ng/mmol
Urinary thromboxane metabolite levels will be measured as a secondary endpoint to evaluate thromboxane production. Quantification will be conducted using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results will be normalized to urinary creatinine levels (nanograms per millimole of creatinine) to account for variations in urine concentration. Data will be summarized using statistical measures such as mean ± standard deviation or other appropriate metrics.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Plasma levels of CRP in mg/L
Inflammatory markers will be measured as secondary endpoints to evaluate systemic inflammation. Plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) will be reported in milligrams per liter (mg/L) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or similar validated methods. Data will be summarized using statistical measures such as mean ± standard deviation, and comparisons will be made across study groups and time points.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Plasma levels of resolvins in pg/mL
Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) will be measured as secondary endpoints to assess their role in inflammation resolution. Plasma levels of resolvins will be quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and reported in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL). Data will be summarized using statistical measures such as mean ± standard deviation, and comparisons will be made across study groups and time points.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Plasma Levels of IL-6 in pg/mL
Inflammatory markers will be measured as secondary endpoints to evaluate systemic inflammation. Plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) will be quantified in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or similar validated methods. Data will be summarized using statistical measures such as mean ± standard deviation, and comparisons will be made across study groups and time points.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Plasma Levels of TNF-α in pg/mL
Inflammatory markers will be measured as secondary endpoints to evaluate systemic inflammation. Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) will be quantified in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or similar validated methods. Data will be summarized using statistical measures such as mean ± standard deviation, and comparisons will be made across study groups and time points.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Plasma levels of protectins in pg/mL
Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) will be measured as secondary endpoints to assess their role in inflammation resolution. Plasma levels of protectins will be quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and reported in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL). Data will be summarized using statistical measures such as mean ± standard deviation, and comparisons will be made across study groups and time points.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Plasma levels of maresins in pg/mL
Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) will be measured as secondary endpoints to assess their role in inflammation resolution. Plasma levels of maresins, will be quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and reported in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL). Data will be summarized using statistical measures such as mean ± standard deviation, and comparisons will be made across study groups and time points.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Plan to share: No
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Studies of the drugs tested here: Eicosapentaenoic Acid · Docosahexaenoic Acids