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Cardiovascular Physiological PhenomenaFOFANCT01692431

The Impact of Fish-oil Fatty Acids on Postprandial Vascular Reactivity

A study testing EPA and DHA in people with Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena and Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase, run by University of East Anglia at 1 site in United Kingdom.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The primary aim of this study is to determine the impact of individual fish oil fatty acids on vascular reactivity and to identify underlying physiological and molecular mechanism of any observed effects. In addition response to intervention according to genotype will be determined retrospectively. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 35 to 55 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
EPA and DHA
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
28 participants
Where
1 siteUnited Kingdom
Study dates
Sep 2012to Oct 2013
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 35 to 55 years
  • Men only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • In order to recruit a population at a relative risk of developing CVD of >1.5 males aged 35-55 years, who possess one of the following risk factors for CVD will be recruited through local advertisement:
  • Total cholesterol > 6mmol/L
  • High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) < 1.0mmol/L
  • Systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg
  • Diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg
  • Waist circumference > 102cm

Who cannot join

  • Current smokers, or ex-smokers ceasing < 3 months ago
  • Subjects with existing or significant past medical history of vascular disease or any medical condition likely to affect the study measures e.g. vascular disease, circulatory (i.e. Reynaud's), diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, hepatic, renal, digestive, haematological, neurological, cancer or thyroidal disease.
  • Those with known allergies to the intervention foods / commercially available supplements.
  • Those unprepared to adhere to dietary restrictions during the trial i.e. for 3 days preceding each assessment visit (and for a 3 day run-in period) or unwilling to comply with the assessments per protocol.
  • Parallel participation in another research project which involves concurrent dietary intervention and/or sampling of biological fluids/material.
  • Having vaccinations (excluding the flu vaccination) or antibiotics within 3 months of start of trial, and those with vaccinations scheduled for during the trial.
Show all 11Show fewer
  • Taking EPA or DHA containing food / dietary supplements likely to affect the study results e.g. supplements derived from marine organisms which equate to a greater than 1 gram of EPA and DHA per daily serving. Prospective participants who are willing to cease supplementation 2 month preceding, and during, the trial will be considered on a case by case basis.
  • Habitual consumption of more than one portion of oily fish per week (as defined as 140g of any oil fish, including salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, pilchards, herring, kipper, eel, whitebait, etc).
  • Prescribed lipid lowering, medicine affecting lipoprotein metabolism or blood blotting, hypertension, vasodilators (e.g. Viagra) or antibiotic medication.
  • Assessed from the clinical screening.
  • Unsatisfactory biochemical or haematological assessment assessed by the studies clinical advisor

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United Kingdom1 site
  • Norwich Medical School

    Norwich, NR47TJ

Other trials in United Kingdom

About this study

The primary aim of this study is to determine the impact of individual fish oil fatty acids on vascular reactivity and to identify underlying physiological and molecular mechanism of any observed effects. In addition response to intervention according to genotype will be determined retrospectively.

Read the detailed description

A loss of vascular reactivity and increased vascular tone is being increasingly recognised as a significant cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor and highly predictive of future CVD events. A previous study by our group has shown the inclusion of a fish oil mixture administered alongside a high fat meal preserves postprandial vascular function in healthy men [1]. In this three arm, placebo controlled cross over study, the impact of individual fatty acids contained within fish-oil on postprandial vascular reactivity (measured at 4 hour post test meal) will be assessed for the first time. Clinical measurements of vascular function which correlate with CVD risk factors and are predictive of future CVD events will be undertaken in order to assess any potentially beneficial effects. In addition plasma samples will be taken at 0 and 4 hours to determine the change in concentration of modulators of vascular tone. Accordingly, our nutrients of interest which will be administered in the intervention arms of the study, will be present in this lipoprotein rich fraction. By exposing cells in culture to these EPA- and DHA-enriched lipoproteins, mechanisms underlying the vascular response in our human volunteers will be investigated. Finally we will measure the plasma fatty acid profile to confirm that circulating concentrations of EPA and DHA are increasing postprandially according to intake.

As it is now recognised that genetic variation, in addition to being an important determinant of the risk of all known chronic diseases, plays a large part in determining an individual's response to dietary change, DNA will be extracted from whole blood taken at the clinical screening and stored for subsequent genotyping for variants likely to be important in the regulation of EPA and DHA metabolism and vascular tone. Although the current study will not be fully powered to generate definite conclusion regarding genotype*diet interactions, it will serve to generate pilot data for future studies.

Being tested
EPA, DHA, Placebo

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • EPADietary supplement

    High fat meal containing EPA

  • DHADietary supplement

    High fat meal containing DHA

  • PlaceboDietary supplement

    High fat meal containing negligible EPA/DHA content

Study groups in NCT01692431
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
DHAExperimentalHigh fat meal containing DHA rich oil.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: DHA
EPAExperimentalHigh fat meal containing EPA.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: EPA
ControlPlacebo comparatorHigh fat meal with no/negligable omega-3 fatty acid content.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Endopat

    EndoPat is an easy to use and rapid technique which has been validated against other clinically accepted measures of endothelial function such as Flow Mediated Dilation and Coronary Blood Flow measured by angiography alongside acetylcholine infusion. EndoPat has also been shown to correlate with multiple known CVD risk factors and to be predictive of future cardiovascular events. In addition, EndoPat will be utilised alongside oral administration of nitroglycerin in order to establish if peripheral arterial tone is altered in response to EPA or DHA in a non-Nitric Oxide dependent manner. EndoPAT produces a reactive hyperaemic index score which is indicative of the endothelial's capacity to produce NO, which itself is indicative of general endothelial function. EndoPAT will be assessed using a standardised methodology developed by Itamar Medical, which involves measuring changes in dilation in response to induced hyperaemia.

    Measured: Change from baseline at 4 hours postprandially

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Pulse Wave Velocity

    Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) analysis will also be utilised in order to measure arterial stiffness. PWV analysis will allow several non-invasive measurements to be taken simultaneously including PWV, which is an established index of arterial stiffness, and augmentation index, an indirect measure of arterial stiffness which is dependent on wave-reflections and independent of pulse pressure. PWV and associated measures will be measured using methodology developed by Skidmore medical. PWV is measured in m/sec while augmentation index is measured as a % of augmentation (of central aortic pressure by a reflected pulse wave).

    Measured: Change from baseline at 4 hours postprandially

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted25 Sep 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study startSep 2012
  3. Primary completionOct 2013
  4. Study completionOct 2013

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
28 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01692431
Sponsor's protocol ID
12/EE/011
Acronym
FOFA
Status last verified
Oct 2013
First submitted
17 Sep 2012
Last updated
16 Oct 2013
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Armah CK, Jackson KG, Doman I, James L, Cheghani F, Minihane AM. Fish oil fatty acids improve postprandial vascular reactivity in healthy men. Clin Sci (Lond). 2008 Jun;114(11):679-86. doi: 10.1042/CS20070277.

    PubMed 18052925

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing EPA and DHA in people with Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena and Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase, run by University of East Anglia at 1 site in United Kingdom.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Oct 2013. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Endopat (time frame: Change from baseline at 4 hours postprandially). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01692431, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Oct 2013.

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