Fish oil supplements can lower cholesterol in people genetically predisposed to high levels of it Fish oil lowered total cholesterol, “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, despite genetic risk The results show that lifestyle choices can blunt the effects of genetics THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- People with a genetic predisposition for high can lower their levels by taking fish oil supplements, a new study shows. The results indicate that lifestyle can be a powerful influence on artery-clogging cholesterol, even if a person’s genetics tends to make those levels higher, researchers said.
“Recent advances in genetic studies have allowed us to predict someone’s genetic risk of high cholesterol,” said lead researcher , a doctoral graduate from the University of Georgia’s Department of Genetics. “But the current prediction has room for improvement because it does not consider individual differences in lifestyles, such as taking fish oil supplements,” Sun added in a university news release. About 1 in 4 Americans -- more than 86 million -- have high cholesterol, the researchers said in background notes.
Millions more are at risk for high cholesterol because of their genetics, the researchers added. For the study, researchers used genetic data on more than 441,000 British residents to calculate each person’s genetic likelihood of high levels of cholesterol. The study participants are taking part in a large-scale research project called the UK Biob.