SummaryDiverging results from studies of marine oil supplementation to western diets initiated the undertaking of a double-blind crossover study, with administration to healthy volunteers for 4 weeks of either 10 g of fish oil or 10 g of vegetable oil. Each oil containing approx. 40% of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) respectively. During the n-3 PUFA period, systolic blood pressure, plasma total lipids, triglycerides and VLDL concentrations fell significantly whereas plasma antithrombin-III (AT-III) rose. Cutaneous bleeding time increased significantly. In contrast only AT-III rose during the n-6 PUFA feeding, however, more marked than during the n-3 oil period. It is concluded that a n-3 PUFA oil supplement to the western diet exerts an effect that generally is considered as beneficial in terms of the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. It is in this respect superior to that of n-6 PUFA, stressing the necessity of a more differentiated approach to advices on dietary PUFA enrichment than presently is exerted.

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A description is given of acute fatty liver of pregnancy in a 26-year-old primigravida who survived. Complicating disseminated intravascular coagulation was diagnosed at parturition, and the importance of early diagnosis of this is emphasized. A suggestion for treatment is given as a possible means of improving the prognosis in this mostly fatal disease.

6 members of a family with a tendency to thrombosis and defective fibrinolysis were examined. After stimulation of plasminogen activator release from the vessel wall by local venous occlusion or by submaximal physical exercise, they had a lower plasminogen activator activity in blood than a healthy control group (P < 0.01). 5 of the examined members suffered from recurrent venous thrombosis. The defect appeared to be autosomal dominant.