Efficacy of fish oil concentrate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of fish oil derived (n-3) fatty acid supplementation (3-6 capsules/day) in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) whose (n-6) fatty acid intake in the background diet was < 10 g/day, compared to olive/corn oil capsule supplement over a 15 week period.


METHODS
A placebo controlled, double blind, randomized 15 week study to determine the effect of supplementation on clinical variables in 50 subjects with RA whose background diet was naturally low in (n-6) fatty acids. Fish oil containing 60% (n-3) fatty acids was supplemented at a rate of 40 mg/kg body weight.


RESULTS
Analysis of 9 clinical variables indicated there was a significant difference (p < 0.02) between control and treatment groups. Five subjects in the treatment group and 3 in the control group met the American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria. Dietary supplementation resulted in a significant increase in eicosapentaenoic acid in plasma and monocyte lipids in the supplemented group.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that fish oil supplementation that delivers (n-3) fatty acids at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight/day, with dietary (n-6) fatty acid intake < 10 g/day in the background diet, results in substantial cellular incorporation of (n-3) fatty acids and improvements in clinical status in patients with RA.
Volker
D
D
Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
Fitzgerald
P
P
Major
G
G
Garg
M
M
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D010743:Phospholipids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid