Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation in Children

Children with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are at very high risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Hyper-lipidemia, a traditional risk factor for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), occurs early in the progression of kidney failure; timely identification and intervention is prudent. Currently, there is no known effective therapy for hypertriglyceridemia, the most common lipid abnormality. n-3FA, in doses ranging from 2-6 g/day have effectively lowered elevated triglyceride (TG) levels by 20-50% in a variety of adult populations; however, their use in children with CKD has not been tested in a randomized controlled fashion. This study will provide important information on the safety, efficacy and tolerance of n-3FA in lowering elevated TG levels in children and adolescents with CKD.