Abstract
Background: Omega-3 fatty acids exert anti-inflammatory and hemodynamic effects; however, their concurrent effects in patients receiving treatment for hypertension and dyslipidemia remain incompletely characterized. Objective: To evaluate the effects of 12 weeks of supplementation with pharmaceutical-grade omega-3 fatty acids on inflammatory biomarkers, central and brachial blood pressure including office and 24 h ambulatory measurements, and vascular function in this population. Methods: In this exploratory, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial, 100 adults received omega-3 ethyl esters at a capsule dose of 2 g/day or a matching placebo for 12 weeks, in addition to stable usual pharmacological treatment. Treatment effects were estimated using linear mixed-effects models. p-values were nominal, and 95% confidence intervals were not adjusted for multiplicity. Results: Compared with placebo, omega-3 supplementation was associated with greater reductions in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR; −0.43; 95% CI, −0.73 to −0.13; p = 0.005), ferritin (−47.32 ng/mL; 95% CI, −77.55 to −17.08; p = 0.003), daytime systolic blood pressure (−6.52 mmHg; 95% CI, −10.66 to −2.39; p = 0.002), nighttime diastolic blood pressure (−5.55 mmHg; 95% CI, −9.87 to −1.22; p = 0.013), central systolic blood pressure (−6.71 mmHg; 95% CI, −12.22 to −1.20; p = 0.019), and estimated pulse wave velocity (−0.77 m/s; 95% CI, −1.19 to −0.36; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The trial identified exploratory signals involving NLR, ferritin, selected ambulatory blood-pressure measures, central systolic blood pressure, and algorithm-derived ePWV. Multiplicity, limited sample size, and incomplete outcome availability preclude confirmatory interpretation. Independent replication in larger, prospectively registered trials with clearly specified endpoints and reproducible sample-size calculations is required.