%0 Journal Article %T Role of Omega-3 fatty acids in preventing metabolic disturbances in patients on olanzapine plus either sodium valproate or lithium: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial %A Toktam Faghihi %A Adel Jahed %A Javad Mahmoudi-Gharaei %A Vandad Sharifi %A Shahin Akhondzadeh %A Padideh Ghaeli %J DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences %D 2012 %I BioMed Central %R 10.1186/2008-2231-20-43 %X This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject trial in adult psychiatric patients who were receiving olanzapine combined with lithium (Li) or valproate sodium (VPA). Omega-3 as fish oil with less than 1£¿g/day of EPA/DHA or its placebo was added to patients¡¯ olanzapine and mood stabilizer regimens for 6£¿weeks. Metabolic parameters including anthropometric variables, lipid profile, metabolic syndrome indices, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and lipoprotein (a) [(Lp) (a)] were assessed for participants.Forty one participants completed this study; 20 patients received omega-3 and 21 patients received placebo, added to their regimen of SGA and mood stabilizer. Omega-3 addition did not modulate anthropometric, metabolic syndrome and lipid parameter changes in 6£¿weeks. However, fibrinogen levels significantly decreased, Lp (a) did not increase and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) did not go beyond its target level after omega-3 supplementation. Additionally, a significant inter-group effect was noted for Lp(a).This study suggests that use of short-term omega-3 supplementation added to a combined regimen of olanzapine and mood stabilizer may have a small modulating effect on some cardiovascular risk factors. Trials in longer periods of time and with larger number of patients are needed to further evaluate the effects of omega-3 supplements on preventing cardiovascular risk factors.This trial is registered at irct.ir and its Identifier is as following: IRCT138712231764N1Second generation antipsychotics (SGAs), in particular clozapine and olanzapine have been linked to excessive weight gain, dyslipidemia, hypertension and development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) [1]. Weight gain is also an unfavorable effect of valproate sodium (VPA) and lithium (Li) [2]. Moreover, VPA has been reported to be associated with dyslipidemia which is independent of weight gain [3]. Psychiatric patients often receive polypharmacy with antipsychoti %K Metabolic Disturbance %K Hyperlipidemia %K Omega-3 %K Olanzapine %K Valproate %K Lithium %U http://www.darujps.com/content/20/1/43