Use of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil) in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

• Status: Withdrawn
• Trial end date: 2012-08-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Hepatitis C virus infection is the most common blood-borne infection in the United States and is a leading cause of chronic liver disease affecting 130 million people around the world. It is estimated that 1.6% of the US population may be affected by Hepatitis C infection. The only recommended treatment that has been approved for your condition is the use of interferon and ribavirin. In patients with chronic Hepatitis C, there tends to be an accumulation of fat in the liver. Fatty liver has been associated with failure of treatment.

The accumulation of fat in the liver has been blamed on a particular type of fat called triglycerides. Fish oil, by reducing a type of fat called VLDL, can lower the triglyceride concentration by as much as 50 percent or more. This study seeks to determine if the administration of fish oil along with standard treatment to patients with Hepatitis C will increase the treatment response rates.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Truman Medical Center; University of Missouri, Kansas City
• Collaborators: Reliant Pharmaceuticals; Saint Luke's Health System Foundation; Truman Medical Center

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients > 18 years of age

• Patients with chronic hepatitis C infection

• Patients receiving interferon for treatment of hepatitis C

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnant or lactating patients

• End stage target organ damage in diabetes mellitus: advanced renal failure (serum creatinine >2.0 mg/dl) with or without dialysis, severe neuropathy, advanced peripheral vascular disease.

• Anticipated life expectancy less than 2 years

• Co-existent etiologies for liver disease

• Alcohol consumption more than 30 g per day in men and more than 20 g per day in women.

• Patients on Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation or those patients who report eating oily fish such as salmon, albacore tuna, sardines, etc. twice a week or more frequently.